


Making Waves

by ImyourCardiganAngel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Lifeguard team, M/M, beach au, beach party, everything a beach fic needs to be, idk what else to say, night surfing, surfer lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-03-30 04:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13942902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImyourCardiganAngel/pseuds/ImyourCardiganAngel
Summary: Keith had a summer home in a small beach town and a favorite spot to sit and watch the ocean, along with a pair of surfers that he never meets, before his life takes a hard right turn. But he soon finds himself back in the beach town, and joins a lifeguarding team on a whim and a suggestion from a friend, ready for a new life of his own making. Little does he know these people become much more important in his life, especially a certain surfer.~It satisfies all your beachy au needs ;) From midnight bonfires and surfing lessons at night to beach volleyball and surfing competitions. It's all here.





	1. CHAPTER ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So, I absolutely love the beach, go every summer, and just had to try my hand at writing a beachy voltron au! And i'm weak for surfer Lance, so that's self explanatory. But I also want to make this a good story, so if you're looking for a quick hook-up, sorry! I don't have everything planned to a T, but I do have a general outline. So, I hope you enjoy my story!  
> I own none of these characters, they belong to the wonderful creators of Voltron: Legendary Defenders!

The ocean had always captured Keith’s attention with its raw power and contradicting beauty. It holds strength behind graceful swells and mysteries under its surface. Keith remembers the first time his father had taken him to their summer home, a small cottage- perhaps shack would be more accurate- atop a cliff overlooking the roaring waves. He remembers being entranced as he first stepped up to the edge, watching the water pound against the rocks below. After that, Keith often found himself sitting on said cliff no matter the time, losing himself in the rise and fall of the waves below, the spray of the water tingling against his skin, and the smell of salt on the air that wound its way through his hair. Many times his father would join him, slinging a blanket over his shoulders and offering a mug of hot chocolate, then they’d watch the sunset together, staying long enough to count the stars until Keith fell asleep in his father’s arms.

Keith doesn’t remember the exact year when he first noticed two people bobbing atop the waves on surfboards, but he knew they had immediately caught his interest. It was a woman and a boy around Keith’s age, from what Keith could tell. The young boy was half the height of the woman, struggling to hold up his surfboard, but denying any offer of help with a stern shake of his head. Once they were in the water, Keith realized the woman was instructing the boy, who was listening intently, and Keith instantly wished he could hear what she was saying if it was so interesting. He watched them with the same awe as when he watched the waves ravage the rocks below as they glided on the water, the boy a little wobbly but a confident smile on his face nonetheless. He watched as the boy repeatedly surfed the waves, never straying too far from the tamer waters, and falling more times than he stayed balanced. The woman glided effortlessly, following the boy closely and yelling encouraging words to him as well as tips about feet placement. Keith marveled at how she harnessed the power of the waves, mimicking the gracefulness of the ocean itself with her movements.

When his father joined him after Keith had sat watching the new surfers for hours, Keith had eagerly pointed at them. His father smiled and offered to teach Keith how to surf, but Keith adamantly refused, terror rising in his chest immediately at the thought of being at the mercy of the waves. His father rubbed his back reassuringly, saying no more about the matter as they watched the surfers until they took their leave, riding on their stomachs inland, and exchanging a high five before disappearing around the corner, only a line in the sand remaining from where the boy’s board had dragged behind him.

Every year they returned to the beach house, Keith eagerly awaited the appearance of the surfers, and every year they didn’t disappoint. Over the years, he watched as the boy’s balance stabilized, legs not as wobbly as they once were, and his maneuvers become increasingly more complicated, but the one thing that always remained was his confident smirk. The boy was now taller than the woman and lithe, his limbs long and slim, and the fin of his board no longer dragged through the sand. Each year that the two came they were noticeably more skilled, cutting sharply in the water, weaving around each other, and doing cutbacks that sent water splashing into the air; Keith liked watching the two battle each other, trying to out do the other with their tricks, showing off the best of their skills. It was then, as Keith sat atop the cliff, sun beating down and making his skin tight, and his lips stretched loosely in a smile, that he realized how long he has been watching these two, how far they have come- at least how far the boy has come- since that first day Keith had seen them practicing. And while he may not know these people personally, he felt like they were the closest friends he’s had over the years. 

But the next year there was no sign of the surfers. Not once did they show up all summer, and each day Keith had waited, knees drawn up to his chest, arms crossed atop them, and a frown pulling the corners of his mouth down. Each day he was met by disappointment, his heart sinking a little further than the day before. He still enjoyed the push and pull of the ocean, at least it was a constant in his life and offered some semblance of comfort, but it had lost some of its excitement. That summer seemed grayer than those previously.

Then the year after that Keith didn’t return to the cottage; his father was gone, killed in a car crash, and he was forced into the government’s custody, his mother nowhere to be found. The surfers were forgotten as his life fell apart before his eyes. He was 12 at the time, hardly fair. And Keith felt as if he had been thrown off a cliff, not unlike the one he used to sit atop all those years ago, and left to the mercy of the waves, beaten against the rocks, leaving him dizzy and disoriented as if he really was tumbling beneath the waves.

But all that was in his past and Keith was focused on moving forward, wanting to leave those years behind him. He had left the orphanage with a sigh of relief and a promise of creating a new life for himself a couple years back, and he now found himself back in that small beach town, moving into his old summer cottage. Guess he couldn’t leave this part of him in the past, but Keith didn’t mind since it only reminded him of the only happy memories his childhood held. But that wasn’t his only reason for coming back. An old friend, someone he had met his first day at the orphanage and had taken him under his wing, lived here and had invited Keith out to reconnect. So, here he was. He would be meeting up with Shiro for dinner at some seafood restaurant Shiro had insisted he try, but first, the reunion he had been looking forward to for quite some time, aching for it, if he was being honest.

Keith smiled as he stood atop the cliff, eyes closed as the wind blew his hair into tangles, hands in his pockets to fight the chill. He felt the power of the ocean once more, felt how free and untamed it was- this was something he couldn’t feel in his dreams- and perhaps he was hoping to soak some of that in. He sunk to the ground, knees drawn up to his chest as he lost himself in the push and pull of the waves. The sky was gray as was the ocean, and a mist promising rain hung in the air, chilling Keith to the bone, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. This was the first time he has had full control over his actions, his decisions. He didn’t have to act a certain way to please others, he didn’t have to follow the strict schedule, he could just be himself, and like hell he wasn’t going to enjoy this newfound freedom. 

The crunching of footsteps brought him out of his reverie, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Shiro making his way towards him, white plume of hair blowing wildly in the wind that had recently picked up. When his eyes met Keith’s, a wide smile broke out on his face, and Keith couldn’t help the twitch of his lips. He uncurled himself, and stood to meet Shiro halfway, grunting when his friend pulled him in for a hug, slapping his back.

“You look good! I see Ms. Haggar’s cooking didn’t kill ya,’” he smirked, looking Keith up and down. 

“Yeah, well, you don’t look half bad yourself!” Keith rolled his eyes, rubbing his arms where Shiro had squeezed a bit too tight. “Definitely stronger.”

“Sorry, that’s from all the lifeguard training,” Shiro said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re a lifeguard now?” Keith raised his eyebrows, remembering Shiro fervently talking about space when they were younger, saying how he was going to discover a new planet. He might have projected that want onto Keith.

“I know it doesn’t sound all that great, but it’s actually been really good for me.”

“What happened to being a space explorer?”

Shiro chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Found a more suitable calling, I guess.” He smiled good-naturedly and jerked his head back from where he had come. “I’ll tell you more about it over dinner, we’ve got a reservation to make!” 

Keith chuckled and followed Shiro to his car, shoulders bumping as they fell back into their old routine as easily as they fell in step together. 

 

The restaurant wasn’t anything fancy; a small space with mismatched wooden chairs and round tables, and the counter sat atop a glass case that held fresh seafood caught right from the ocean that morning. After they had ordered, Shiro guided them over to a table in the corner, and their probing of each other’s lives commenced once more. Keith didn’t have much to say, there wasn’t much he wanted to say, but Shiro was accustomed to this. Keith hadn’t held a single conversation with him for the first month after his arrival at the orphanage, but Shiro had remained persistent, luring Keith with different topics until he found one suited to Keith’s interests- the ocean. 

He smiled as he listened to Shiro recount stories from his life after leaving the orphanage, not forgetting to apologize profusely for leaving Keith so long without word, and while it had shaken Keith, none of that mattered now. Now he was happy, happy that both of them were free to live their lives, and he said as much. Shiro smiled, making a remark about Keith’s maturity, and then their food came.

It was the best seafood Keith had tasted, so fresh he swore he could taste the ocean on the fish’s skin, and he hummed enthusiastically. So much better than what Ms. Haggar had considered cooking. Shiro chuckled at this but could do no more as his mouth was full of shellfish. Eventually they broke the silence and resumed lighthearted conversation.

Keith hadn’t laughed this much in a long time, his cheeks sore and his stomach aching. Shiro seemed to be having an equally good time, and their time together passed quickly. All too soon were they pulling up to Keith’s cottage, a steady rain now visible in the headlights. Keith stared a moment at his summer home, no, his home home. 

“I’m glad you’re here, Keith,” Shiro’s voice drew his attention, a hand falling onto Keith’s knee.

“Me too,” and Keith meant it.

He popped the door open, making to get out before Shiro called him back.

“Hey, so I was thinking,” 

“That’s never good,” Keith smirked, pulling the door back so the rain wouldn’t soak him and the seat.

Shiro pushed his face away playfully before continuing. “Whatever. But I know you don’t have a lot of friends- no, don’t be like that- you’re a loner at heart, and it’s not entirely your fault. But I’m here for you now, and I think it would be good for you to branch out.”

Keith groaned, sinking into the seat. “And how do you suppose I do that, because I know you already have an idea.”

Shiro’s smile widened. “How perceptive of you, Keith! Why yes, I do have an idea. Why don’t you come work as a lifeguard? We’re a close-knit group, and I think you’d fit right in.”

“Shiro, in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t ‘fit right in’ anywhere.”

“Just tell me you’ll think about it?”

Keith pulled a tight smile, not wanting to disappoint Shiro. “Yeah, I can do that.”

And do that Keith did. He thought long and hard about it, weighing pros and cons as he watched television. He absently picked at the strings on his old couch, mind elsewhere and ignoring the chatter of the tv. He was still pondering it, thinking of how Shiro’s face had lit up as he talked about his experiences as a lifeguard, how genuine his expression was. That’s all Keith wanted from life, to be able to regard it with such genuine joy. And as he laid down in bed, window cracked to let the sound of the crashing waves fill his room, he had made up his mind. 

In the morning, he sent a text to Shiro, getting an enthusiastic reply, but it didn’t settle his nerves. He didn’t eat breakfast before heading out to the address Shiro had sent him, not wanting to unsettle his stomach even more. Keith wasn’t sure what to expect. He can tell you what he wasn’t expecting: feeling immediately welcomed by Shiro’s friend group, fitting right in as Shiro continually insisted he would, and all of this going as smoothly as Keith would like it to. Keith paused at on his doorstep, fists clenching, and he almost turned around, almost texted Shiro for a raincheck. But then he remembered Shiro’s hopeful expression when he had mentioned this to Keith, and he certainly didn’t want to disappoint Shiro, not after everything he’d done for him. 

So here Keith was, flipping his skateboard up into his grasp as he ascended the planked ramp leading to the beach, relaxing as the smell of the ocean washed over him. Gulls called out above him and he squinted into the sun as he tried to search for them, remembering a time when he would chase them down the beach. He blinked the sun spots from his eyes, then glanced up and down the boardwalk. It was early enough that the crowd had not yet arrived, but the sun still shone hotly, however, a cool breeze eased the burning skin. 

Keith set the skateboard against the railing, raking his fingers through his hair- carding through some knots- before collecting them into a ponytail, securing it with a black band. A throat cleared behind him, and he froze, turning his upper body as he was still wrapping the worn band around his hair. Sandy feet came into view, and he followed long, tan legs up to a navy swimsuit, then a toned stomach that stretched for miles until broad shoulders came into view with an equally broad chest, then finally his gaze met the other’s, and he was plunged into the ocean itself, its depths present in the blue eyes staring back at him. Keith quickly turned back around, giving his hair a final tug and snatched his board up before turning back around to face the tan stranger with a, hopefully, more collected demeanor. 

“Can I help you?” Keith shrugged.

The stranger snorted. “No, no, no. That’s what I’m supposed to say. See, I’m a lifeguard, an official, trained lifeguard,” he pointed to the symbol on his shorts, and Keith took a deep breath before glancing down again. 

“Uh, am I supposed to be impressed?” Keith swallowed past the lump in his throat, going for nonchalance.

The stranger adopted a look of offense, a very much dramatized expression, and took a step back. “I’m wounded! You have struck me through the heart!”

Keith rolled his eyes and leaned back against the railing. “Well, you’re a trained lifeguard, so you should know what to do in this situation.”

The guy looked shocked, frozen with a hand over his heart and the other across his forehead, mouth agape, then suddenly he was laughing. He doubled over, laughter ringing clear, and eyes and nose scrunched, and Keith was momentarily breathless by the way it lit up his face. The man was glowing. But Keith quickly shook himself free, scowling at his thoughts. Then a hand slid into view.

“The name’s Lance, and I must shake the hand of a worthy opponent!”

Keith raised an eyebrow as he stared at the hand, then flicked to Lance’s face, but quickly returned to his hand before he became too distracted. He cleared his throat and took the hand. “Keith.”

“Keith? As in the Keith Shiro hasn’t stopped talking about for the past week?” Lance raised an eyebrow, looking at him curiously. 

“Uh,”

“Keith!” 

Keith and Lance both turned to see Shiro jogging up to them, waving enthusiastically. He paused to catch his breath beside them, hands on his hips, then pulled Keith in for a side hug.

“So glad you could make it!” He panted, still out of breath.

“Allura give you that much of a run for your money?” Lance smirked. “Ha! Get it? Run, cause you guys were-“

“I see you’ve met Lance,” Shiro interrupted, but he ruffled Lance’s hair, who swatted him away and quickly ran his fingers back through the brown strands.

“The one and only, who has also won ‘Most Beautiful Lifeguard’ by the way,” Lance bowed dramatically, and Keith tried not to smile at the one strand of hair that was still askew.

“That wasn’t even official, Lance. Coran was just accommodating your needs to get you to do what he wanted.”

Lance pouted, crossing his arms. “Okay, but he still agreed with me!”

Shiro chuckled and clapped a hand on Lance’s shoulder, who returned the clap with a genuine smile, softer than the smirk he had been sporting a couple minutes ago. Keith stilled, the comradery between the two obvious despite their teasing, and Keith felt a spike in his chest at the hopes that he could have that too one day.

“So, Keith, you ready for your tour?”

“Depends, are you the one giving it?” Keith crossed his arms, smirking at Shiro.

“Well, Lance here may be easier on the eyes, but I will actually tell you what you need to know,” Shiro responded with a wink, and Lance snorted.

“You underestimate me, Shiro.”

“No, I estimate you just right because-“

“You’re perfect at everything,” Lance finished for him, rolling his eyes, but a fond smile pulling at his lips.

“That’s right. Now, go get your run in before the beach opens, while I give Keith a tour.”

“Aye aye, Captain!” Lance shot the pair finger guns and was leveled with two identically blank stares. “Right. Okay, then. Lance out!” He saluted, then spun on his heels and jogged down the boardwalk.

After he was out of earshot, Shiro nudged Keith. “So, what do you think?”

“Of what?” 

“Of Lance,” Shiro said smirking.

“I think I may drown myself if I have to listen to him every day,” Keith said blandly.

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re all trained lifeguards, then,” Shiro chuckled, not buying Keith’s disinterest. “Come on, let’s go find the others. They’re excited to meet you.”

Keith’s eyebrows rose as he watched Shiro walk the opposite way Lance had gone. He couldn’t understand why anyone would be excited to meet him, but it eased some of the rumbling in his stomach, and he quickly caught up to Shiro before he could notice his delay. 

Shiro led him to a house set just off the boardwalk, a flag pole with the lifeguard flag flapping in the wind out front. It’s light blue shingles, while worn, gave off a homey feel, and there was even a swing on the porch, though it was bare of any kind of cushion. Shiro stepped inside, and Keith found himself hesitating at the door, the uneasiness in his stomach at a climax and he was sure he was going to throw up right there. How’s that for first impressions?   
But Shiro’s voice drew him out of his downward spiral, and he took a shaky step inside, instantly greeted with the smell of bacon. His uneasiness turned into hunger as he remembered he hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning. 

A woman came trotting down the stairs that were right in front of the door, evidently having just showered as her slick braided hair was dripping onto her shirt, but what made Keith stare wasn’t her graceful form or opalescent eyes, but the stark white of her hair. Keith recovered as she shot him a kind smile, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

“You must be Keith!” She said in a gentle voice. “I’m Allura, it’s nice to finally meet you!”

Keith took her hand and returned the compliment with a tight smile. “Uh, how long has Shiro been talking about me?”

She chuckled and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. “Don’t worry, it’s been all good things!”

Keith entered the kitchen and was once again overwhelmed by the smell of bacon. He glanced over and saw Shiro shoving a piece in his mouth and promptly glared at him, but he only shrugged apologetically. He swallowed and flashed Allura a smile, then sat down at the small table shoved into the corner of the room. It was then that Keith noticed the large figure cooking at the stove behind where Shiro had been standing.

“Hunk, this is Keith,” Shiro called as he slid into a chair, a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him.

Allura was loading up a plate as well, and Hunk’s head shot up, eyes finding Keith, who was still hovering by the doorway. He flashed him a genuine smile that momentarily blinded Keith.

“Keith! Just in time for breakfast! Here, grab a plate,” Hunk held out a plate and Keith cautiously approached, sending a grateful smile towards Hunk.  
Hunk joined them at the table, sitting beside Keith without hesitation, and Keith was dumbfounded. They weren’t flashing him angry stares, or sitting stiffly avoiding his gaze, there wasn’t even an awkward air around them. And Keith found himself relaxing as he listened to the others talk about their plans for the day.

“Hey, do you know where Pidge is?” Shiro asked, standing up and collecting everyone’s empty plates. 

“Oh yeah, spent another night out with the turtles,” Hunk replied. “You know how she gets.”

“Her enthusiasm is much appreciated. Those turtles are in good hands,” Allura added.

Keith got the gist of their conversation, but was still unsure about the who they were talking about, though, he didn’t have to wait long. The front door opened with a bang and shut just as loudly, then a mop of brown hair trudged into the room, shoulders slumped and a bag dragging on the floor behind them. They wore tight swim shorts that cut off just above the knee, and a green sandguard shirt, and wordlessly walked over to the counter, grabbing a handful of bacon, no plate.

“Pidge!” Shiro greeted with a smile from the sink where he was washing the dishes. “How’d the night go?”

“Excellent. The nesting ground is secure, and the turtles are all healthy!” Pidge perked up, talking around mouthfuls of bacon. She opened her mouth to continue when she caught sight of Keith peeking over the back of his chair.

“Is that Keith?” She glanced at Shiro for confirmation, then turned back, studying Keith closely and adjusting her glasses. “Nice to meet ya! Welcome to my lab,” Pidge said with a smirk.

“It’s not a lab, Pidge,” Hunk’s voice sing-songed and she shot him a glare that held no heat.

“Well, it’s where I do my research, so it’s my lab,” Pidge grumbled, adjusting her glasses.

“Uh, nice to meet you too,” Keith nodded at her, and she smiled widely.

“Wanna see my tech!” 

Keith glanced at Shiro, who had walked up behind the small girl and was drying his hands on a towel. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
“That sounds like a great idea actually! Hunk and I have to go patrol the beach, and Allura is heading out to meet up with Lance for lifeguarding. We’ll be back for lunch, though! Have fun, Keith!”

Keith’s head spun, and his throat closed in a panic at the thought of being left alone, but Pidge didn’t give him a moment to collect his thoughts as she latched onto his wrist and dragged him into the next room. He shot an accusatory look at Shiro over his shoulder but was only met with a smug grin.  
Keith found he liked listening to Pidge ramble on about the tech she built to help her in her research on the green sea turtles, which are endangered, and learned that her favorite piece of tech was named R.O.V.E.R. He found out she works with her brother, who is currently on a trip in Australia, learning from their sister research squad, and that her dad is the one that created this conservation group. He’s retired now, working to raise awareness instead, which is just as important. Keith listened to her intently, glad he didn’t have to talk, and marveled at how much she knew despite joining only a year and a half ago. 

Before Keith knew it, Pidge announced it was time for lunch, and Keith just noticed the other voices drifting through the door. He followed Pidge back to the kitchen, finding everyone gathered around the table, most with bottles of water in their hands. He saw they were all in their bathing suit, the boys sporting navy shorts like Lance’s, and Allura in a one-piece navy suit with white accents along her shoulders and waist. Lance was flung across two chairs, leaning heavily on Hunk who didn’t seem to notice him, moaning about the heat as Hunk rolled his eyes affectionately, passing him another dripping bottle of water. Shiro and Allura were chatting, leaning against the counter and occasionally plucking up a vegetable from the veggie tray beside them. There was a new man amongst them too, sitting across from Hunk and Lance, sporting a healthy mustache that was a vibrant orange, matching his slick backed hair. He wore matching navy shorts, but also wore a navy shirt with the lifeguard logo across the chest. Shiro noticed Pidge and Keith and excused himself from Allura’s side.

“Keith, I’d like you to meet Coran, our manager,” Shiro guided Keith over to the table, stopping in front of the mustached man, who turned an enthusiastic smile on Keith.

“Hello, my boy! I’m happy to hear you’re joining our team!”

Keith blanched, and he felt Shiro’s grip on his shoulders tighten. 

“Ah, Coran, I haven’t asked him about that just yet,” Shiro said meekly, and Keith could feel his tentative gaze on him.

“Well, he is going to join, right?” Hunk spoke up kindly. “I mean, you said he doesn’t get out much, but he’s here right now. That means something, right?”

“And he’s already survived Pidge’s droning about all her tech and turtles, so he’s basically already a part of the team!” Lance added, flashing Pidge a toothy smirk.

“It wasn’t boring!” Keith piped up, then swallowed. “Uh, Pidge’s research, it was pretty interesting,” he stumbled, words catching in his throat as it threatened to close at the attention.

He felt a light hit on his arm, and Pidge moved into view, climbing into the seat beside Coran.

“Looks like I’ve got a new best friend,” she muttered, shooting Lance a triumphant grin.

“What? Your replacing me with him!” Lance squawked. “He has a mullet!”

Keith’s hand unconsciously clutched at the ends of his hair, which he had released from his ponytail sometime during Pidge’s and his conversation, and he scowled. 

“That’s not important,” Allura stepped forward, interrupting the brewing argument. “So, what do you think, Keith? Would you like to join the team?”

Keith glanced around at the expectant gazes staring back at him, and his heart skipped. They all looked like they wanted him to stick around, and that was never something he’s experienced before, it was overwhelming. Shiro squeezed his shoulders and offered a kind, encouraging smile. And Keith nodded stiffly.

“Uh, sure. If you guys want me around, that is,” he said quietly, looking at the floor, not wanting to be overwhelmed by his emotions again.

A chorus of cheers were his reply, and then he was picked up by Hunk, who had crossed the room quicker than Keith thought he could to give him a hug. Keith chuckled, patting Hunk’s back until he set him back on the ground.

“Hunk, buddy, you’re going to scare him away,” Lance laughed, draping an arm casually over Keith’s shoulders.

Keith stiffened at the proximity and hoped Lance didn’t notice. Keith could smell the beach on him and see the dried salt on his skin- he must have taken a swim before coming in for lunch. Lance, unaffected by the closeness, turned a wide smile to Keith.

“Welcome aboard, mullet!”

Keith scowled, shrugging Lance’s arm off his shoulder. “Don’t call me that. It’s just Keith.”

Lance held up a hand over his heart for the second time that day. “You wound me again. Didn’t you know I make the nicknames that stick. You don’t get a choice!”

“Unfortunately, he’s right. But he’s the only one who uses the nicknames, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“Mm, not true Pidgeon. I’ve heard Hunk call Shiro ‘dad.’”

“Okay, but in my defense, that’s like calling your teacher ‘mom,’ and it was an accident, not a conscious choice.” Hunk spoke up.

“Whatever,” Lance crossed his arms, turning his nose up. “My nicknames come from the heart, and if you guys don’t appreciate them, then I guess there’s no reason for me to be here.”

“Are you always this dramatic?” Keith snorted, and Lance’s mouth dropped open.

“I am not dramatic! Okay, maybe a little bit, but still! I’m not taking criticism from someone with a mullet!” 

Pidge laughed and sidled up to Keith. “You’ll fit in well here, anyone who can tame Lance will survive.”

“Tame? I’m not some wild animal, Pidge!”

“Sometimes it seems like it,” Pidge sighed, shaking her head. “My turtles have more manners than you.”

Keith’s lip quirked, and he felt himself relax into the comfortable air of the room. Yeah, he could do this.

“That’s not even possible! They’re animals, they have no concept of manners, just instincts!” Lance continued to refute, and Pidge and he were face to face now, Lance bending over to be at their level.

“Enough. It’s about time for us to head back to our stations,” Shiro butted in, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he turned to Keith with a soft smile. “Keith, Coran will get you all set up, and explain your duties. You won’t be starting today, I can assure, and you can talk more to Coran about a starting date. Glad you came out today.”

Everyone filtered out of the room, flashing smiles and patting his shoulder and sending ‘welcomes’ his way. Keith felt warm, a little bit disoriented, but in a good way, an unexpected way, and he smiled as he watched his new teammates leave the house, laughing and talking amongst each other. 

“Alright, my boy, let’s get you set up,” Coran came up beside him, posture impeccable, stroking his mustache. “We’ll get you a uniform first. Follow me!”  
The uniforms were all housed in a shack a little ways back down the boardwalk, where all the lifeguarding gear was kept as well. After asking Keith some question, Coran determined that patrol would suit him best, and that made the teams even since Coran served as a lifeguard on certain days. He was given swim shorts, sweatpants, t-shirt, and a hoodie, all variants of navy and white and grey and black. Then Coran explained his duties on patrol team, showing him how the quads worked, simple enough in Keith’s mind, and also explained lifeguard duties since he may be needed at any given time. Everyone participated in morning workouts before the beach officially opened, which consisted of running and swimming, and sometimes a pair took out a rowboat, and Keith felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him. This was happening, this was real, and he felt a sense of peace come over him for the first time in a long time. 

By the time Coran had finished, there was only an hour left until the beach closed, meaning the lifeguards and patrol could leave since the beach never officially ‘closed.’ Keith decided to wait around, Coran excusing himself to finish up some paperwork for the opening day of the season, and wandered towards the beach, leaning against the wood banister and looking out at the horizon, watching the rolling waves of the ocean. It was a relatively calm day, the wind having disappeared as the sun reached high noon, making the heat stifling, but Keith was used to it. That didn’t mean he wasn’t drenched in sweat ten minutes later, and he pulled his hair back to give his neck some sort of relief.

He heard a shrill whistle, and his eyes found Lance standing in the lifeguard stand, waving his arms for some kids on boogie-boards to move over, away from the swimmers. His eyes watched the muscles of his back flex with his movements, and he sighed, letting his head sink down to his arms resting on the banister. Lance sat back down, making some comment to Allura and earning a laugh. Then watched as a group of kids approached the stand, Lance immediately hoping down, crouching to speak with them, and Keith’s lips quirked at how he still waved his arms animatedly as he talked. The kids seemed to love him, pulling him over to the sandcastle they had built, which he studied with dramatic awe. He gave the kids high-fives before climbing back into the lifeguard stand.

A little while later, a rumble of engines met Keith’s ears, and he raised his head, watching Shiro and Hunk roll in on their quads. Shiro waved to Keith, who returned the favor, and hopped the banister to jog over to them.

“Coran took care of you?” Shiro asked, climbing off the quad.

“He explained everything in painful detail,” Keith smiled.

Shiro grinned. “Yeah, he tends to do that, but can’t blame his enthusiasm!”

“It almost rivals Lance’s,” Hunk added, coming up beside Shiro. 

He had a bandana wrapped around his head to keep the sweat from his eyes, and Keith noticed the tattoos around his arms for the first time. They were just simple bands but evoked the essence of the ocean with its swirling lines. Both of them were sweating profusely, and Keith was glad he wasn’t the only one; he wiped the sweat from the back of his neck.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for a swim!” Hunk announced.

“I think it’s about that time, too,” Shiro smiled. “Let’s collect Lance and Allura, our shift’s over. You coming, Keith?”

Keith startled for a second, surprised they were inviting him to what seemed like the team’s daily routine, but then he remembered he was a part of this team now, and he immediately softened. His lips quirked, and he nodded his head. 

“Alright! Let’s go!” Hunk yelled, running across the sand towards the lifeguard stand.

Keith was surprised how fast the big guy was moving, but then he remembered they ran on the beach every morning. Shiro laughed and started following, shooting Keith a challenging smirk, and Keith immediately raced after him. While Hunk had paused beside the stand, Shiro and Keith raced right past. Keith reached out a hand to grab Shiro, hoping to slow him down, but he wasn’t quite close enough, and he focused on going faster, moving his legs faster. Then Shiro suddenly cut away, and Keith stumbled as he tried to make the same turn, but felt a pair of hands on his back, pushing him into the water. He resurfaced, spitting out the salty water and pushing his bangs back, glaring at a smug looking Shiro standing with his hands on his hips on the beach. But then he saw Hunk behind Shiro, a wide smile stretching across his face, and Shiro tilted his head at him, eyes squinting. He didn’t notice Hunk until it was too late and the two of them splashed into the water. When Shiro resurfaced, Keith splashed him in the face, laughing heartily. Shiro only laughed as well, and Hunk surfaced, spewing water out of his mouth like a fountain.

“I’ve got your back, Keith!” He said, shooting Keith a toothy grin.

Keith smiled. “Thanks,”

“Alright, let’s party!” Lance’s voice yelled, and the group watched as he ran full speed into the water, legs raising high to accommodate the drag, and then he flopped into the water on his back, arms sprawled to make the biggest splash possible. 

Allura followed more slowly, wading in and dipping below the water when she reached the group, eyes fluttering closed in relief. 

“Hey, where’d Lance go?” Hunk asked, looking around him and trying to see under the surface.

He suddenly yelped, yelling that something had touched his foot making everyone roll their eyes. Then tan arms wrapped around his neck and Lance’s smug face popped over his shoulder.

“Hey, buddy,” he said coolly.

“Dude, you know I hate when you do that!”

“You’re just too easy,” 

Lance released Hunk and laid back in the water, arms tucking under his head as he relished the feeling of floating on the waves. The others soon followed his example and they passed the time bobbing atop the waves, soaking up the sun. But Lance soon grew bored, and initiated a water fight, which attracted the attention of some kids who quickly rushed in to join them. Keith recognized them as the kids who were talking to Lance earlier. They ganged up on Lance and jumped onto his back, and he dramatically sank under the water.

“Keith, help me! I’m under attack!” And then he was under the water, hand still waving in the air before sinking slowly under the surface.  
Keith didn’t move from his spot, smirking as the kids began searching around in the water. Lance must have slipped between their legs while under water. He was probably going to do the same thing to them as he did to Hunk. Keith gasped as he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulder, dragging him under before he could get a single word out.

When he came back up he saw red, and as soon as Lance broke the surface, he pounced, tackling him and pushing his head back under water. They wrestled as the kids cheered them on, splitting into team Lance and team Keith. Lance spluttered, calling for help, and those who were on Lance’s side ran to assist, hanging on Keith’s arms and back, letting Lance slip free. The kids on Keith’s side immediately retaliated, diving into action, clashing with Lance’s team members. 

They splashed and drug each other under the water, battle cries splitting the air. Lance was laughing and dragging the kids hanging off his arms through the water, and Keith was playfully trying to buck the kid clinging to his back off. Soon Hunk joined the fight as a one-man-team, and eventually recruited all the kids, making them turn on Lance and Keith. They all rushed the two boys, and Lance saluted Keith before they were tackled by a horde of children. Keith’s stomach hurt from laughing so hard, and his cheeks were sore. 

Soon, the children’s mothers called them back, saying it was time to leave, and only then did Keith notice how late it was, the sun already half hidden by the horizon, bathing the ocean in a brilliant orange light. He turned and realized that Shiro and Allura had retreated to the shore, how long ago he wasn’t sure. Hunk slapped his back, still laughing and Keith found himself smiling once more.

“Hunk, buddy, you gotta carry me! I don’t think I’ll make it,” Lance was hanging off him. “I was wounded it battle! Tell my mother I love her!”

Hunk rolled his eyes good naturedly and held out his arms. Lance cheered and hopped into them, only to be suddenly flung backwards. He yelped as he flew through the air, and Hunk laughed, a deep belly laugh that had his shoulders shaking. Lance was glaring at him, half his face hidden under the water, and Hunk grabbed Keith’s arm and started running out of the water.

“Run, dude! He’s going on the warpath!” 

“HUNK! I’m going to kill you!” Lance roared, stomping after them.

“But then you wouldn’t get any more baked goods,” Hunk reasoned, and Lance stopped in his tracks, water dripping off of his suit and down his arms and legs. Keith tried not to stare. 

“You’re right,” he said thoughtfully. “I’ll have to enact my revenge in another manner.”

Keith snorted, and started walking back up the beach, towards Shiro and Allura. He grabbed the towel Shiro held out to him and dried himself off, ruffling his hair and squeezing out the water. He left the towel on his head and sunk down beside Shiro, realizing how tired he actually was. 

“You looked like you were having fun,” Shiro said, and Keith could hear his smug smile in his words.

“Don’t say it,” Keith groaned, but Shiro was already saying it.

“I told you so.”

“Whatever,” Keith grumbled. “You don’t have to rub it in.”

Lance and Hunk arrived, and once they finished drying off the group headed back up the beach and to the house. Keith collected his board, and went to slip out, but found Lance blocking his way, hair mussed from drying it off with the towel. Keith startled, swallowing around the lump in his throat as his eyes met Lance’s captivating gaze.

“Where do you think you’re going, mullet?” He crossed his arms, like he was guarding the door. 

“Uh, home?” Keith answered shyly.

“Before the party starts? It’s a Friday, dude!”

“Oh,” Keith knew about the party, Shiro had told him, but he hadn’t wanted to overstep his boundaries. 

“You’re a part of this team now, so of course you’re invited,” Lance guessed his thoughts. “Coran always gets wild with the vodka, and it’s blackmail material.” Lance smirked. “You don’t have to drink though, Hunk doesn’t, well sometimes a glass or two, but Pidge can’t even drink, so it’s not like you’ll be the odd man out if that what you’re worried about,” Lance was rambling, and Keith knew he meant well, so he didn’t try to stop him, just stood there in a daze as Lance’s mouth kept moving. 

Then Hunk came down the stairs, having already showered and changed into his clothes, and interrupted Lance’s rant, saying he was up next. Lance had given Keith a tight smile, realizing how he had rambled on, before slipping up the stairs. Hunk patted him on the shoulder.

“He’s a social butterfly, but where some people are at a lack of what to say, he just keeps talking when he isn’t sure about what exactly he should say,” Hunk chuckled. “You staying tonight, though?”

Keith shook his head, dropping his gaze. “Ah, no. I’m pretty tired, so I think I’m just going to head home. Not because I don’t want to hang with you guys, you’re great, really, today was the best time I’ve had in a long while, but it was a lot, a good a lot, but a lot.” 

Hunk chuckled. “I understand, man. No need to explain yourself! And I know for a fact everyone had fun today too. We really like you and are glad you joined the team! See you tomorrow, yeah?”

Keith smiled and nodded, waving as he slipped out the door. Once outside he sighed, feeling the cool air of the ocean wash over him, and a light-hearted feeling sprouted in his chest. It stayed, as did the smile, the entire ride back to his quaint cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think i'm going to suggest a beachy song at the end of each chapter just cause I love music and am always excited to share my tunes. So this chapter's featured song is: I Need an Energy, by Greg Holden.  
> It's a wonderful song from the Chasing Mavericks soundtrack, a movie you should def check out if you're into surfing movies! Feel free to comment your own beachy songs and don't be afraid to leave a kudos~ always makes my day!  
> Anyways, how was the first chapter? Feedback is always appreciated- it's what keeps me writing! And i'm always up for a chat about anything, and will read and respond to each comment as needed.  
> Also, updates will be sporadic. So sorry, but I have four other fics i'm currently working on cause I have no self control. *shrugs* Oops.


	2. CHAPTER TWO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a tiny bit shorter than the previous one only because I found a good stopping point. If I had continued this would have been painfully long! But, enjoy!

Keith was already awake when his alarm went off in the morning. He had been staring at the ceiling for the past hour, thoughts about the upcoming day occupying his mind, as well as yesterday’s events. It all felt like a dream, like he would wake up only to be back in the orphanage lying on his squeaky bed, and the sound of water dripping from the ceiling filling the silence in the room. But he had finally left that life behind him, so Keith sighed, scrubbing his face with a hand before sitting up, pushing his jumbled thoughts to the far recesses of his mind, the blankets pooling around his waist. 

He glanced out the window looking out towards the cliff and saw the sun trying to break through the morning clouds, highlighting them pink and soft purple as the night was chased away. Keith stretched, groaning at the release of tension from his muscles, then threw the covers off his legs, padding into the bathroom and flicking the light on, the harsh fluorescent making him snap his eyes shut until they adjusted. 

He blinked at his reflection in the mirror, his hair stuck out in all direction, his bangs cowlicks and no matter how much water he used to try to press them flat, they wouldn’t cooperate. Keith sighed, looks like it was going to be a ponytail day- he quickly combed through the rest of his hair with his fingers, then tied it at the base of his neck, slipping on a headband in case his bangs slip free later today. 

Then Keith splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth, feeling immediately refreshed. He left the bathroom in favor of the kitchen, puttering through his very empty cabinets and fridge before deciding on some toast. He made a mental note to go grocery shopping later. After finishing breakfast, he pulled on his issued swim shorts and t-shirt, checking the weather and seeing it was going to be a very hot day, so he bypassed the sweats and sweatshirt, leaving them piled up in the corner. Then he slung his drawstring bag on his back and collected his skateboard, a thrill running through him as he jogged down his driveway to the road. 

When he arrived at the beach he found Hunk, Pidge, and Lance already there, lined up along the banister and looking out at the horizon where the sun had lit the sky in soft pastels, shining a brilliant orange itself. Keith sidled up beside Pidge, mumbling a good morning; Pidge only gave them a thumbs up, looking half asleep, while Hunk and Lance flashed him wide smiles that held too much energy for being this early in the morning. 

“Just in time to watch the sunrise with us,” Lance stated, turning back to the ocean.

“We do this every morning,” Hunk added. “And you’re welcome to join us every morning. It kind of set the tone, calms your thoughts, and just fills you with a sense of peace.”

Keith nodded, looking out at the ocean and realizing Hunk was right. The sun cast a warm glow, tinting everything a soft blue with golden highlights, making the usually harsh lines fuzzy; it looked like the sky melded with the ocean, waters serene at the moment, and Keith felt that serenity transfer to him. He smiled, enjoying the quiet.

“Hello boys! And gentlelady,” Coran’s voice rang out behind them, loud and clear, and Keith’s heartrate jumped. “It’s time for the morning run! Get crackin’!”

“Coraaan,” Lance drew out his name in a whine. 

“Don’t give me that sass,” Coran said before Lance could go any farther. “Up and at ‘em! Do you really want to set a bad example for Keith?”

Lance perked up at that. “Oh yeah, it’s your first day on the job! Well, stick with me and I’ll show ya the ropes,” Lance winked, and Keith felt his breath stutter.

“More like, show you how to break free of the ropes,” Pidge rolled their eyes. “Have fun running, I’ll be working with R.O.V.E.R,” and with a final wave they returned to the house.

Hunk, Lance, and Keith began their jog, pace light and carefree as Lance continually talked about everything, Hunk listening with a polite smile on his face, but Keith eventually began tuning him out in favor of focusing on the ocean. Lance was talking about something cute his brother Marco had done this morning, and Keith felt like he was intruding, so decided to give them some privacy. 

The morning was already starting to heat up, and the softness burning away. Keith felt his hair begin to stick to the black of his neck, and his shirt to his chest. They soon arrived at the end of the boardwalk, the trio paused to catch their breath, and Keith took the moment to pull his hair higher off his neck, wiping his face with his shirt. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Lance staring at him, but the boy’s lips quirked into a smirk.

“Race ya’ back!”

“Why?” Keith crossed his arms, head tilted as he looked at Lance, willing his eyes to stay on his face and not follow the sweat dripping down his neck before soaking into his shirt.

“Why not? You afraid I’ll beat ya?” Lance raised his chin haughtily. 

“Not a chance,” Keith narrowed his eyes.

“Uh, yeah, I’m just going to jog normally, so I’ll catch up later,” Hunk butted in.

“Count us off, Hunk,” Lance said, taking up his position, as did Keith.

“Yeah, okay. Three, two, o-“ and Lance sprinted away, leaving Keith gawking before his mind caught up, and ran after him.

He raced to catch up, head tucked and arms swinging at the same speed as his legs, the familiar burn that accompanies a run spreading through his body, setting his muscles and lungs on fire. Keith began to question his decision to sprint, scowling when he realized he had taken Lance’s bait; no way was he going to be able to sprint a mile, so he had to pace himself accordingly. Reluctantly, he eased up a bit, still staying close to Lance, so he could easily pass him in the final stretch. But until then, he enjoyed the view. Lance’s shoulder blades protruded from his shirt with the swing of his arms, and he could follow the rippling of his muscle all the way from his shoulders to his torso. He almost tripped over his own feet and quickly adverted his eyes, zeroing in on the hairs sticking to the back of Lance’s neck instead, but that wasn’t much better, so he focused on his breathing. 

When the lifeguard flag came into view, Keith knew they were close and kicked it into gear. He came up beside Lance, Lance side-eyeing him in surprise, then put on his own burst of speed so they remained neck-in-neck. Their gasping breaths mingled, and their arms pumped in unison, both focusing on the ‘finish line’ ahead of them, Keith’s skateboard marking the spot they had started- an unintentional doing on Keith’s part.

Keith pushed himself harder, the skateboard fast approaching, but Lance didn’t let up, he couldn’t pull ahead. And then Shiro walked onto the boardwalk, bag in hand and oblivious smile on his face. Keith and Lance screeched as he wandered in front of them, and he turned wide eyes on them, face adopting a look of fear. He dove for the railing, but Keith clipped his foot, tripping into Lance who twisted, arms grabbing around his waist in an effort to keep him from falling on his face, but the momentum sent them both sprawling onto the ground.

They landed in a heap, Keith laying across Lance’s stomach, and Lance’s arms still wrapped around his waist. They groaned; Lance let his head fall back against the wood and his eyes fluttered closed. Keith pushed himself up, careful not to accidentally put his hands in the wrong spot and cause Lance more pain than he already has. When he was on his feet once more he glanced down to see Lance was looking up at him, so he offered a hand and a sheepish smile, pulling Lance to his feet. Lance popped his back, body slumping from exhaustion.

“Looks like you fell for me,” Lance said with a lopsided grin, rubbing the back of his head.

Keith felt his face burn bright with both embarrassment and anger but hoped it would be played off as being from the run and heat. He turned to Shiro, who was now smiling smugly, arms crossed.

“What the hell, Shiro?”

Shiro raised his eyebrows innocently. “What? You guys were the ones charging down the boardwalk like a pair of racehorses! I was just arriving to work like I normally do,”

Keith realized his anger was irrational and just a side effect of being embarrassed, so he took a deep breath.

“Did you happen to see who won?” Lance piped up, eager eyes locked onto Shiro, cheeks flushed, and he was biting his lip absently.

“Unfortunately, no. I was too busy fearing for my life,” Shiro replied, and Lance deflated, but he immediately perked up. “Guess we’ll just have to do a rematch tomorrow then?”

Keith released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as Lance turned his cool gaze on him but nodded, a nonchalant smirk lifting his lips.

Then Hunk bounded up, greeting Shiro before turning to Lance and Keith.

“So, who won?”

Shiro groaned, and Hunk shot him a questioning glance.

“I definitely won,” Keith said automatically.

“Uh, no way! I definitely had the jump on you!” Lance retaliated.

“Whatever makes you sleep at night,” Keith smirked.

Lance’s mouth worked, eyes wide, but then he sighed and crossed his arms. “Guess I’ll just have to kick your ass again tomorrow.”

“You can certainly try,” 

“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be,” Lance narrowed his eyes, then held out a hand. “May the best man win.”

Keith took the hand and met Lance’s gaze, struck by the determination in them. Shiro’s chuckle interrupted them and his hands found their shoulders. Hunk was rolling his eyes and shaking his head, but a fond smile was on his face.

“Glad that’s settled. Now, it’s about time for us to get ready for work,” Shiro said, patting their shoulders, then started towards the house, Hunk close behind.

Keith grabbed his bag and skateboard, following with Lance by his side. A relaxed silence settled over them, and Keith tried to keep his lips from quirking at the playful argument that had just unfolded. He had felt so comfortable joking around with Lance, like it came naturally, and he hoped it would always be like this. 

His first day was going well, better than Keith had expected. He was stuck with Shiro for the day, just so he could get comfortable and ask any questions that popped up while in the field. They joked like old times, assisting people as needed and warning them to keep cool; the sun was boiling, the heat waves visible in the air.

Before he knew it, they reconvened with Hunk, who had gone the opposite direction down the beach, and headed to the house for lunch. Everyone else was already there when they walked through the door, and as they entered the kitchen Coran shoved water bottles into their hands.  
“It’s important to stay hydrated! It’s a hot one today!” He exclaimed.

Keith gratefully took it, chugging it until his body began to cool down. He sunk into a chair at the table beside Allura, Lance and Pidge across from him. Lance had a white nose- zinc sunscreen- and he looked like a puddle, face pressed against the table. Allura still looked radiant despite her sweat-soaked hair and skin, talking animatedly with Pidge about peanut butter and peanuts. Keith leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, and chin tucked on his chest as his eyes grew heavier; the heat always made him lethargic. He let them flutter closed, but he was no where close to falling asleep, mind tuned in to the conversations around him as his body soaked in the cool air- bless the inventor of air conditioning. 

Then suddenly a coldness pricked on the side of his neck, and he yelped, knee coming up to hit the underside of the table and elbow jerking into the back of the chair. He turned a death glare onto the perpetrator, who was none other than Shiro, who was visibly trying, and failing, to hold in his laughter. Keith bared his teeth.

“Really?! What are you? Twelve?”

“Six actually,” Shiro replied smugly. “Born on a leap day, remember?”

Keith grumbled and rubbed the cold spot on his neck, turning to see Lance laughing at him, tears in his eyes. Keith glared at him, but he couldn’t help but notice how Lance’s face changed when he laughed. He hated how it made his heart skip, so he buried his face in his hands instead. Someone patted his back he and he turned to see Allura smiling kindly at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get him back for you!”

Keith smiled, “Thanks, Allura.”

The rest of lunch passed without incident, except for when Allura had stuck her hands in the freezer for a minute, claiming to be looking for something, and stuck them under Shiro’s shirt on his lower back. Keith had never heard such a high-pitched noise come from Shiro, and immediately deemed Allura a trustworthy ally. 

Keith soon found himself patrolling the beach once more, this time shadowing Hunk. The beach was growing emptier by the hour, the heat driving people away sooner than usual, and everyone else was in the water, splashing and laughing in the waves. Hunk was spouting facts about the history of the beach and town, and Keith found it endearing and pretty interesting. Kids running around and tossing a ball between them waved as they passed, Hunk and Keith returning the favor.

Keith found himself asking about Hunk’s childhood, learning he grew up in Hawaii, so the beach scene was nothing new to him. He also asked about his interests and was surprised when Hunk said he wanted to open his own Hawaiian restaurant on this very boardwalk one day.

“You’d be good at that,” Keith smiled, cutting the engine of his quad. They had arrived back at their starting point since their shift was over. “You’re an amazing cook, and I know I’d eat there!”

“Thanks, man! That means a lot,” Hunk smiled widely, slapping Keith’s back.

Shiro pulled up shortly after them, and they once again collected Allura and Lance for their end-of-shift dip in the ocean. It was much calmer and shorter than the previous days’ and they all filed back into the house. It was announced that tonight was movie night, and Keith agreed to stay, not like he had much choice according to Pidge, who had taken a strange liking to him. While everyone else cleaned up, she dragged him into her ‘lab’ and started talking about her turtles animatedly, not that Keith minded. She was showing him pictures of all the regulars, stating their names without any hesitation even though they all looked similar to Keith, when Hunk knocked on the door and peaked inside, announcing the movie was about to start. 

They followed Hunk back to the living room, Pidge rushing to her designated spot- everyone had that specific spot they always returned to- and Keith chose to sit on the floor, back against the couch. A pillow hit his shoulder and he turned to see Lance holding it out like an offering. Keith thanked him and grabbed it, slipping it underneath him as the movie title ran across the screen. 

It was some horror movie, and while Keith remained unaffected by it, he couldn’t say as much for the others. Lance and Hunk were clinging to each other, Pidge squashed between them and looking very much annoyed; however, Lance’s eyes remained fixed to the screen, while Hunk’s were shut tightly at the most intense parts. Allura’s face never changed from the tight, disgusted face, and she was leaning heavily against Shiro, who had an arm propped up behind her on the loveseat. Keith narrowed his eyes at them, a smirk pulling at his lips in realization. He turned his attention back to the screen before Shiro could catch him.

By the time the movie ended, it had long since grown dark, stars blinking into existence, and it was easily passed midnight- Keith couldn’t find a clock nearby to determine the exact time- and Hunk and Coran were both asleep (Coran had fallen asleep just ten minutes into the movie). Keith stood, stretching out his stiff limbs, a yawn escaping. Shiro also stood, popping his neck and rubbing his eyes.

“I’ll give you a ride home, Keith,” he said through a yawn.

Keith nodded, thankful because he was certain he would fall asleep on his board if he tried to ride home. After a chorus of sleepy goodbyes, and some snores, Keith and Shiro left the house, the cool air of the ocean washing over them, but that disappeared the moment they left the boardwalk; the night was still humid. Keith found himself staring up at the stars, and noticed Shiro doing the same, but neither of them broke the silence. Shiro gently bumped his shoulder against Keith’s as they walked, and Keith returned it. They arrived at Shiro’s car, the silence following them inside and remaining for half the drive, until Shiro spoke up.

“Are you happy?” His voice was soft and comfortable, matching the mood in the car.

“Happier than I have been in a while,” Keith smiled, and he meant it. “Thanks, Shiro.”

Shiro turned a wide smile on him, then moved to ruffle his head, but Keith quickly ducked and swatted his arm away.

“What about you? You and Allura looked pretty comfortable tonight,” he said slyly and watched as Shiro grew red. Keith laughed. “Well, you have my approval, she’s nice. Just don’t drag your feet like you always do!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Shiro said, face passive and eyes focused on the road, then he cleared his throat, the same sly smirk Keith was wearing slowly appearing on his face. Keith didn’t like the looks of that.

“What about you and Lance?” Shio wiggled his eyebrows.

Keith sucked in a breath. Dammit, Shiro. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he parroted what Shiro had just said.

“Oh, come on, you can talk to me about this!”

“There isn’t any ‘this,’” Keith huffed, sinking in the seat, wrestling with the belt as it bit into his neck. 

“Please, your face was so red after this morning’s incident, and I know it was not entirely from the run!” Shiro said before he could refute. “And your eyes are always lingering on him when he’s in the room. Come on, Keith, I know you, so don’t lie to me.” His voice was stern, now he understood why Lance called him ‘dad.’ There was no way Keith was getting out of this, so he decided to end his suffering quickly.

“Okay, so maybe I find him attractive, but I just met him, and he immediately accepted me as a friend- just like everyone else- and I don’t want that to change,” Keith huffed out. “And I know next to nothing about him.”

“Well, that’s easy to change,” Shiro shrugged. “Just talk to him.”

“Yeah, sure, like it’s that easy.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it this morning,”

Keith opened his mouth to retort, but then paused when he realized that Shiro was right. He sat up in his seat, thoughtful, and Shiro flashed him a knowing look, but ceased his teasing for the rest of the ride. Keith waved as Shiro backed out of his driveway, watching him retreat until his headlights were no longer visible, then turned and trudged inside, wasting no time stripping and throwing on the old t-shirt he considered pajamas on before collapsing into bed. 

 

The rest of the week passed in much the same fashion, and Keith grew comfortable with the steady routine and people in his life. He knew he was growing more emotionally attached to this group of people, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Past him may have been terrified that they would all up and leave, taking everything with them, but this time felt different. It felt like he was always meant to be here, and now that he is here, he felt safe and comfortable, which made him take risks with these new people, showing parts of himself he would never even consider revealing previously. 

He spent a night with Pidge on the beach watching the turtles, completely dead the next day, but worth it- he learned a lot that night and had an interesting conversation about robot turtles, which expanded to robot animals in general. Another day Hunk had offered to teach him how to cook something he swore was simple- newsflash, it was not simple! Keith had ended up spilling something that looked like hot-sauce on his shirt and burned his fingers numerous times- not seriously though. And tonight, Lance asked- begged- him to go play some of the games down on the boardwalk with him, and he had accepted, which was how he now found himself being dragged from game to game by an enthusiastic Lance. Why it was only him was because Pidge had declined in favor of their turtles, Hunk was out with his girlfriend, and Shiro and Allura wanted to just, as Shiro had put it, “chill.” Keith had stared long and hard at him until Shiro turned red as a tomato, and then he had left the house cackling with Lance, Shiro shouting useless protests after them.

Lance had immediately initiated a competition of who could win the most rounds of games, splitting the token evenly between them. Keith glanced around; he remembered these arcades from when his dad used to bring him down here. The place hadn’t changed at all, the carpet still a concoction of colors bleeding together with some questionable stains mixed in. But that meant his favorite game was still there, and he couldn’t stop the smile on his face when he rounded the corner and spotted it: the motorcycle racing game.

“This was my favorite game as a kid,” Keith explained, dragging Lance over to it. “I held the high score for years.” He stared at the screen, waiting for the high scores to be displayed, and when they popped up, he saw his initials still sitting at the top. “No frickin’ way,” he blanched, he had never expected his score to still be around. “No one’s beat me in- what? Ten years?! This has gotta be a joke.”

“Well, get ready to finally get knocked to second place because I’m going to be the new champion,” Lance smirked, climbing onto one of the cycles.

“You wish,” Keith smirked, climbing onto his own. “I bet I can beat myself and you.”

“Oh, it’s on!”

They started the game, Keith selecting his usual red sports bike, and Lance selecting a blue one, and one thing quickly became apparent to Keith- Lance sucked at this game. He may have dominated at the sharpshooting zombie game, but he was absolutely terrible at this one. Keith smirked as he drew up into first place, sneaking a glance at Lance to find him sticking his tongue out in concentration, leaning stiffly to control the bike. Okay, he wasn’t doing horrible, he was fifth, but in Keith’s mind, that was failing. Keith crossed the finish line and sat back, waiting for Lance to finish as well, and in the end, Lance had managed to snag third, and Keith had done what he said he would- he beat his high score. Lance stuck his tongue out at him and Keith returned the gesture. 

“You win this round, mullet,” Lance pouted, Keith rolling his eyes, before stomping off to a new game.

They wandered around a little longer, Lance initiating most of the games by making snide remarks and challenging Keith, who never backed down from a challenge, and he lost most of the time, but at least he had won the important game and still held the record. It was getting late and Lance had used all of his tokens, but Keith still had two left with no other games he wanted to play.

“Here, just play this game,” Lance knocked on the glass of a claw game, stuffed multicolored lions inside.

Keith shrugged and slipped the rest of his tokens inside, the claw jerking and the timer starting to count down. Keith’s eyes locked onto the red lion and he maneuvered the claw over it. Lance helped him line up from the side, and he watched as the claw descended. It went askew, and Keith scowled as the claw reset. One more try. He grew impatient though and hit the button before he could line it up the way he should have, but miraculously, a blue lion arose in the claw’s grasp. Lance whooped and retrieved the prize, holding it out to Keith.

“Keep it,” Keith shook his head, hands remaining in his pockets. “I was going for the red one, but I know blue is your favorite color.”

Lance stared at him dumbfounded, then a soft smile brightened his face. “Thanks,” he said simply, hugging the animal close, then he checked his watch. “Alright, think it’s safe to head back now?”

“Guess we’ll find out,” Keith shrugged, walking out of the arcade with Lance on his heels.

They walked in silence for a bit; Keith stared out at the deserted beach and the dark ocean. There was an ever-present cool breeze blowing off the ocean, and he drew his jacket closer to him, he noticed Lance do the same.

“So,” Lance cleared his throat, drawing Keith’s attention. “You said your high score had stuck for ten years?” Keith nodded. “So, you used to live here, or…?” Lance was staring at the planks as they walked, the wind ruffling his bangs a bit.

“I used to come here in the summer. I live in my summer home now which is surprisingly still standing,” Keith smiled softly.

“Oh yeah? Where at? I’ve grown up here, so maybe we lived close.”

Keith shook his head. “I lived up in Marmora, my cottage sits atop a cliff.”

“Ah, gotcha. Yeah, not close at all,” Lance laughed, looking past Keith and at the ocean.

“So, uh, you’ve lived here your whole life?”

“Yep, lived just two blocks from the beach in Bakku county. Would drag my surfboard to the beach every day!” Lance chuckled at the memory. “If my mother didn’t know where I was, she would check the beach first! Surfing always helped me relax ‘cause you had to focus your full attention on it, couldn’t think of anything else, y’ know?”

“I’ve never been surfing,” Keith said a bit sheepishly. “But I did used to watch some surfers while sitting on the cliff near my house. I spent so much time out there just watching the waves. My dad would come out and stargaze with me when night fell,” Keith sighed.

“Good times, am I right?” Lance smiled nostalgically.

“Yeah, before everything went to hell!”

“Yeah. Isn’t that how it always goes,” Lance trailed off, and Keith glanced at him, wanting to ask what had happened to him, but thought better of it. Lance probably didn’t want to talk about it; Keith certainly didn’t want to dredge up his own black days.

They walked the rest of the way to the house in silence, a pleasant silence that spoke of their new-found comradery, and kindly knocked on the door before entering, only to find Shiro and Allura passed out on the couch. Allura’s head was resting on Shiro’s shoulders, who had an arm around her.

“Aw, look at mom and dad,” Lance cooed. “They’re sickeningly sweet.”

Keith snorted. “You sound just like a little kid when they see their parents kiss.”

“That’s exactly what I am! All of us are their children.”

“Don’t make it weird,” Keith said, settling into the nearby armchair, suddenly very aware of his exhaustion.

Lance grabbed the blanket off the armchair behind Keith, who growled when he was slapped in the face by the tail end of the blanket, and covered them with a gentle care that Keith had never seen him use before. He couldn’t take his eyes off him, only adverting them when Lance straightened up. 

“I’m going to just run upstairs and get comfy, then wanna eat some ice cream since no one can tell us not to?” Lance smirked.

“Sounds good to me,” Keith said through a yawn.

“Great!” Lance bounded up the stairs, his footsteps echoing.

When Lance came down the stairs, Keith was sitting ramrod straight in the armchair, looking dazed and grumpy, some of his hair mussed.

“Has anyone ever told you you sound like a horde of elephants when coming down the stairs?” He grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Did I wake ya, sleepy head?” Lance smirked, but he was inwardly taking in every detail of this fuzzy Keith. He wanted to reach out and smooth down his ruffled hair but refrained with much willpower.

“Still up for ice cream?”

“Of course,” Keith snorted, pushing off the chair, stumbling a step before righting himself.

Lance ran into the kitchen, pulling out the ice cream as Keith sat down, scooping a generous amount into the bowls while Keith tried not to fall asleep at the table. He set the bowls down with clank, startling Keith, and Lance laughed. 

“We’ve got an extra room if you want to crash here tonight. I don’t think you’re going to make it home in one piece in your current state.”  
Keith nodded and took his ice cream. “Thanks. For both the ice cream and the offer.”

“No problem,” Lance said, putting a huge scoop of ice cream in his mouth.

“You’re going to get a brain freeze,” Keith deadpanned.

“Well, you’re going to get a cavity with all that chocolate syrup your ice cream is drowning in,” Lance retorted around the ice cream in his mouth, pointing at Keith’s bowl with his spoon. “Anyways, I’ve been eating ice cream for so long, I’m immune to brain freezes!”

“Whatever you say,” Keith snorted, smiling into his bowl and Lance memorized the way his lips quirked, and cheeks rose, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

They finished their ice cream, Lance’s jaw clenching and limbs freezing at odd angles as a brain freeze wracked his body. 

“Immune, huh?” Keith smirked at him, and Lance glared at him, threatening with him with his spoon.

“Shut your quiznak,” he growled playfully. Keith had raised an eyebrow. “Coran,” was his only explanation, but Keith seemed to understand. 

Keith collected their empty dishes and placed them in the sink as Shiro and Allura peered into the kitchen.

“Good morning, sleepy heads!” Lance chirped.

“Lance, it’s only 1 in the morning,” Shiro replied, unamused. “We just wanted to tell you two we’re heading up to bed, and I’m taking the spare room,”

Lance glanced at Keith, but before he could say anything Keith spoke up. “That’s fine. Goodnight!”

Once they had left, Lance glanced back at Keith, who shrugged.

“I’ll just take the couch.”

“I can set up a mattress in my room?” Lance offered, but Keith shook his head.

“Thanks, but it’s fine. We’ll be getting up early for work anyways.”

Lance hummed, and after making sure Keith had everything he needed, turned in for the night. Except he found he couldn’t sleep, his mind instead showing him images from the night. Keith’s determined focus while playing the motorcycle game, the soft smile on his face when he told Lance to keep the lion that was currently on his dresser, his hair rustling in the wind on the walk back, and the soft glow around him when Lance had startled him awake in the living room. Lance groaned and shoved the pillow over his face, willing these endless images away. But, another part of him didn’t mind, and enjoyed the warm feeling that arose in his chest at the thoughts. That side of him won as he fell asleep with a smile on his face. 

 

The next week passed by per usual, Keith and Lance continuing to race every morning, though more for fun than bragging rights now, each loving how it made them push themselves harder. Lance rescued a kid from a riptide, but that was the only incident this week. But what Lance would call the highlight of his week was the moment a piece of paper blew across the boardwalk and into his leg. When he read the words, a wide smile stretched across his face, and he raced to the house. Everyone was in the kitchen eating lunch when he slammed the door open, stomping into the room with the paper held high.  
“All of you are in big trouble!” he yelled, a little breathless. Everyone looked at him in confusion, and he paused a moment longer for suspense. “There’s going to be a surfing competition next week and none of you told me!”

Realization dawned on their faces, and they all calmly went back to what they had been doing before he barged into the room.

“Lance, Coran already told us that- oh,” Allura paused, suddenly remembering. You were still at the lifeguard stand talking with those kids that like you so much.”

“Oh yeah, sorry buddy!” Hunk said with an apologetic smile. “It slipped my mind too actually!”

“Obviously,” Lance scoffed. “Things would be different if I had missed it, but no worries!”

“Yeah, we know. The last time you missed a competition you had been passive aggressive for the entire week, and I don’t think any of us want to go through that again,” Pidge said.

“Oh, yes! I remember that!” Coran chuckled. “He had convinced us all to do a spa day with him and got us to lather this green goo on our faces that had no correlation to skin care at all. I think it was a type of food. Good times!”

Everyone frowned at Coran, and Keith just looked overly confused.

“That was a good one, but that’s behind us! You’re all coming, right? Pssht, I know you are. Are any of you guys going to try and take my crown?” Lance said, wiggling his eyebrows./p>

“I don't know about that, but it has been a while since I stretched my competition legs,” Allura smiled.

"Always modest, 'Lura," Lance smiled.

“You know I’m in, buddy!” Hunk spoke up next.

"Count me in too!" Coran said, puffing out his chest and curling his mustache.

“Alright! Mark your calendars for next Saturday! It’s going to be a party!” Lance whooped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's featured songs (because I couldn't decide and the more the merrier) are:  
> 1\. Hollow Life by Coast Modern.  
> It's just got that nice beat that's got you swaying, and it fit the chill but upbeat tune this chapter was following. And it kind of applies to Keith who's looking to make a better life for himself.  
> 2\. Don't Say Oh Well by Grouplove  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAN7Hr48a5E  
> Added this link cause they are literally singing on the beach. ;)  
> ~Get ready for a party next chapter! Already got the perfect song picked out ;) Thanks for reading, and I'm always glad to hear from you! Hit me up with a comment and/or kudos! It's what keeps me motivated, and I know everyone says this, but they are all speaking the truth! Makes me smile, so don't be shy! Song suggestions are always welcome, no promises they'll be used, but they'll go on the list of beachy songs i've been amassing; I can't possibly write as many chapters as songs I've got right now haha!


	3. CHAPTER THREE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back with more! Enjoy, lovelies!

Keith wandered onto the beach, skateboard in hand, and wiped the back of his neck with the towel clutched in his hand. The sun was already merciless at eleven in the morning, so it was no mystery that today was going to be a hot one, but the heat never seemed to bother him too much, in fact, he preferred it. The warmth of the sun on his skin and the burn of the sand under his feet were welcome sensations, filling him with energy for unknown reasons. 

Keith scanned the beach, surprised by the number of spectators already settled; it was an hour before the competition. He quickly found his friends, Shiro tossing a ball with Pidge while Hunk, Coran, Allura, and Lance were hunched over their boards, waxing them with big strokes of their arms. They were all focused on their tasks, and Keith remained unnoticed as he approached until Pidge yelled his name upon recognizing him, but unfortunately Shiro hadn’t realized her reason for pause and in her momentary distraction Pidge was hit in the head with the ball, which bounced off comically as the girl remained stock still. Everyone’s attention had been captured by Pidge’s yell, but no one made a move, all staring at Pidge with various expressions- Shiro was frozen in an apologetic stance, a hand covering his mouth, while Lance was barely containing his laughter. 

Then Pidge was in motion, lunging for the ball and rushing at Shiro, who yelped and made to run away, Pidge hot on his trail. Keith smiled and shook his head, turning his attention to his surfer friends.

“Good luck out there, guys,” Keith said, pushing his sunglasses up on his head- Keith just had a weird thing about talking to people with sunglasses on, seemed impersonal and awkward.

“Thanks, Keith! Glade you could make it!” Hunk piped up, still absently waxing his board. 

The large man wore his signature orange headband, and a black suit with yellow accents around his limbs and on his chest and hips in the shape of a stretched ‘V’, though the suit was currently pulled down around his waist. Keith noticed they all wore the same variation of the wetsuit, the ‘V’s in different colors- Allura had pink, Lance had cyan, and Coran had dark blue outlined with orange. Must be a company’s symbol, Keith guessed. They all had nice physiques, but Keith already new that from lifeguarding, though Coran did have more muscle than Keith had anticipated.

“Yeah, glad you could make it to watch me win!” Lance straightened, puffing out his chest confidently. 

Keith scoffed. “Whatever. My bets on Allura. Shiro did say she’s earned the title of “Princess of Surfing” after all, and that can’t be a small feat.”

“Thank you, Keith,” Allura smiled proudly, nose turned up playfully as she flipped her hair in Lance’s face, making him splutter.

Lance glared a Keith like he had just said the most offensive thing to him, rising to his feet and stalking over to Keith. Keith carefully kept his eyes on Lance’s, not letting them wander to the way the wetsuit made him seem more lithe, nor to the way his hair was already mussed, probably from the suit’s hood which now hung limply at the base of his neck, nor how his eyes seemed to match the color of the accents on his suit- Keith swore they were ever changing, like the tides of the ocean. 

“Please, I am the King of surfing!”

Keith crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, cocking a hip in an effort to appear nonchalant. “Well, there’s always a chance you could be dethroned.”  
“Don’t worry about me, mullet! I’ve got a long reign ahead of me,” Lance purred and winked, a wicked smile pulling at his lips.

Keith flipped his sunglasses down, trying to maintain his façade of unimpressed, and hoping his true reason for this action- to hide the blush creeping over his cheeks- would remain hidden and actually give off a cool, disinterested vibe, which he knew was a long shot, but a guy could hope. It seemed to have the wanted effect, though, as Lance hmphed, stalking back to his board, slaving over it with newfound energy. 

Keith settled on his towel, giving a wave to Shiro who was now laying in the sand as Pidge worked furiously to bury him, which Keith could only assume was compensation for the earlier incident. He laid back on his elbows, ankles crossed, and let his gaze drift around, finding some other competitors, but none specifically caught his eye. They all looked as one would expect from a humble beach town, though Keith was surprised at the age range- a couple teenagers, and also some dads who looked to be in as good as shape as Keith. Then he spotted a group of surfers who walked onto the beach like they owned the place. The man was in the lead, his white hair tied back in a braid, and a smug smirk on his face as he scanned the beach. Four women fanned out around him, each sporting their own boards and stern expressions, looking unnaturally serious in this carefree setting- or maybe it was the identical black shades and purple wetsuits they all wore. Keith immediately dislike them, and quickly redirected his attention elsewhere, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of catching him staring.

But all too soon, a group of shadows fell over him, and Keith looked up to find said group standing in front of Lance and Allura, paying him no attention; Coran and Hunk had their backs to them and hadn’t noticed the new arrivals.

“Lotor,” Lance hissed, not bothering to hide his obvious annoyance.

“Hello, Lance, Allura,” the man said, voice like silk. Hunk and Coran turned at the sound of his voice, both looking up at Lotor grimly, mouths in tight lines. However, Lotor didn’t look perturbed by the expressions directed his way. “Wonderful weather, isn’t it?”

“Just say what you came here to say, Lotor. You’re not fooling anyone with your nonchalance!” Lance growled, eyes narrowing.

“Oh, I don’t need to say anything! I’ll let my surfing speak for me,” Lotor flipped his braid over his shoulder, eyes flicking over to Keith momentarily, and he could feel his gaze slide over him before returning to the surfers kneeling before him, and a shiver crawled over Keith’s skin. 

“Looks like you need reminding of who’s king around here!”

“Please, every king gets dethroned, and by none other than the prince!” Lotor hissed, smiling coldly, and the two men stayed frozen like that for a few seconds, slightly bent towards each other, matching glares twisting their faces. 

“Don’t you think you should go prep your board, Lotor?” Allura cut in sweetly, but her smile was anything but.

Lotor straightened, smile once more stretching his lips as he gazed down at Allura. “Of course, princess.” Allura’s gaze darkened at the use of her nickname, and even Keith clenched his jaw at the way he had said the word.

Then Lotor turned on his heel with a grace that made Keith want to push him over, and the women, who had remained silent and thoroughly disinterested throughout the entire conversation, followed him without hesitation.

“You guys better kick his ass,” Keith scoffed, glaring as he watched the group retreat, exuding confidence.

“Don’t worry, we always do. No way am I going to let some benny take the crown!” Lance said seriously, eyes still locked onto Lotor’s back.

The rest of the time passed quickly, and Pidge managed to recruit Keith to help her bury Shiro and then turn him into a mermaid with a shell bra- that would only realistically cover his nipples- and seaweed hair. Pidge and Keith had cackled as Shiro rolled his eyes and laid helpless as the two took selfies with the humiliated man. Lance came over and judged their handiwork.

“Not bad,” he mused with a twinkle in his eye as he rubbed his chin. “Though, I’m still the prettiest mermaid, Shiro.”

Shiro rolled his eyes and shook his head good-naturedly before breaking free of his prison, making quite a show of it. Then the ten-minute horn sounded.

“Show time,” Shiro said, clapping Lance on the back before moving on to wish the others luck.

Lance pulled up the hood on his suit, carefully tucking any stray hairs back in the cap. Pidge gave him a high-five and then executed some complicated handshake, and Keith just settled for a fist bump. Lance picked up his blue surfboard, holding it at arms-length as he examined it.

“Beautiful as ever, Blue!” Keith snorted, and Lance glanced over his shoulder, glaring at Keith. “What’s so funny, mullet?”

“You’re talking to your board,” Keith said matter-of-factly.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Blue here is not just any old surfboard!” A couple of sighs sounded around the group, but Lance paid them no attention. “She was my very first board and my favorite to this day! None of my other boards can replace her; I always ride her in competitions, and I always win.”

Keith couldn’t help the quirk of his lips at Lance’s passion, finding it endearing, but he’d never tell Lance that. 

“Yeah, okay, I believe you,” Keith smirked, glancing away from the soft look on Lance’s face to see Allura, Coran, and Hunk standing their own boards upright.

Allura’s board had a white base and decorated with a pink floral décor that faded into a deep purple at the tail. Coran’s was a dark blue with a white stripe cutting the board in half, and an orange ‘V,’ like on his suit, was at the nose. Keith also noticed he had a custom sticker of his mustache at the base- classic Coran. Hunk’s matched him in stature and resembled a wood texture with two yellow striped going down the center and two hibiscus flowers placed asymmetrically at the nose.

Then they were walking down to join the group of surfers that had coalesced on the shore, boards at the ready as the clock wound down. Keith settled back on his towel, Shiro and Pidge on either side of him as they eagerly awaited the starting horn. His eyes found Lotor, still surrounded by his group of women, and still smiling smugly.

“Hey, Shiro, what’s a ‘benny’?”

“Hm?” Shiro glanced at him, eyes clouded with confusion for a moment.

“Lance had called Lotor a ‘benny,’” Keith explained, and realization dawned on Shiro’s face.

“Oh, that’s a slang term for someone who’s not a local. Lance and Lotor have had a rivalry for king of the beach for a few years now, and, to everyone’s liking, Lance has stayed on top. Not that the people of this town hold any malice towards outsiders, but it’s nice that someone who grew up by humble means has claimed the unofficial title.”

“I’m guessing Lotor grew up with anything but humble means,” Keith said. “He practically screams ‘rich snob who could do anything he wanted.’”

“Well, I can’t argue with that, but the only thing I know for sure is that he’s not a local.” Shiro shrugged, and that’s where the conversation ended.

Shortly, a horn pierced the air and all the surfers simultaneously raced into the water, diving onto their boards and paddling against the waves. Keith felt a thrill shoot through him, and he searched the chaos for his friends, easily finding Hunk and Allura, but not Coran and Lance, whose distinguishing features were either hidden by their wetsuit or was lost in the crowd, more so than Hunk’s size and Allura’s shining hair.

Keith’s eyes followed the steady strokes of the surfers, watching them glide up the face of waves and, occasionally, duck underneath when the wave was too large. Soon they reached outside of the impact zone, where the waves broke the hardest, to where the line-up was, and the surfers floated atop the water, awaiting their moment to drop in on a wave. It was then that Keith realized how many surfers there were; it was going to be difficult to catch a wave of their own.

But not too hard for Lance, who caught the first wave easily and immediately. He rose the face of the wave comfortably, limbs loose and movements fluid as he let the water carry him. He executed a few tricks, a cut-back and a carve among them. 

Lance liked to keep his first run relatively simple, get a feel for the water and the atmosphere, you know? He liked to become one with the ocean, feel its swell and let it pull him along, matching his movements to its fluidity. This was where he felt the most relaxed, the most at home. It was like all the spectators disappeared, all his thoughts disappeared; it was just him and the ocean and the sound of the roaring waves in his ears. Lance found it peaceful, and he didn’t even have to command his muscles to execute flawless turns and cuts, it just came naturally, flowing over him as easily as water. He kicked out before the wave crashed, landing smoothly on his stomach and paddling back to reset and wait for the next wave. He could feel the heat running through his muscles now, its intensity growing with each stroke, and a wide smile found it’s way on his face. It was showtime.

Keith watched in awe at how effortless the surfers made surfing look, and he was enraptured by their sharp and smooth movements, all recognizable but each surfer adding their own flare to their routine. Lance definitely had a strong persona on the water, and his movements were strong and carefree, like he had been born to do this. Lotor carried his dominating persona from land to water, cutting off many suffers on numerous occasions, stealing their waves, and then expertly cutting into the face of the wave and spinning sharply with a smug smirk on his face the entire time. He was good, and he knew it, which only made Keith scowl. He can see why everyone wanted Lance to uphold his title.

When Allura caught a wave, she executed her moves with pure elegance and strength, body twisting nimbly to guide the board into bottom turns and cutbacks, and Hunk had a relaxed and easy-going style, never misplacing his feet and always doing what he meant to, or at least making it seem that was the case. Coran had a firm surfing style, that also held a unique twist; he would always add something extra to his moves that would keep it from being too traditional, and Keith decided that fit Coran perfectly. It was fascinating to Keith, watching the subtle styles amongst the surfers.   
Several times there were numerous surfers on one wave, which was called a ‘party wave’ according to Shiro, and Keith watched as the surfers respected their competitor’s boundaries. He had even cheered with Shiro and Pidge when Lance, Hunk, Allura, and Coran all caught the same wave, performing what Keith swore was a choreographed routine for these instances. Then a lull occurred, leaving the surfers bobbing atop the water for a few minutes until the next set rolled in, and by then the ten-minute warning horn sounded.

Keith watched in anticipation as two surfers charged towards the same wave, and he quickly identified them as Lance and Lotor. Everyone cheered, yelling at the surfers despite Keith being certain the two couldn’t hear the shouts. Both caught the wave, neck-in-neck, and Lotor sprayed Lance, hoping to knock him out but to no avail. It’s going to take more than that to take out a surfer as experienced as Lance McClain. Then Lance swerved in front of Lotor, taking the lead to enter a tube, the crest of the wave wrapping around him. Lotor scowled and kicked out, but not before doing an impressive kick-flip on his way out.

As Lance entered the tube, his previous thoughts towards Lotor vanished, replaced by the feel of the wave curling around him. Inside all he could hear was the rushing of water, and Lance smiled, closing his eyes and he ran a hand through the face of the wave, feeling the coolness and power of the water currently carrying him. The tube collapsed behind him, but he remained ahead, and soon glided out ahead, but he wasn’t done yet. He carefully walked to the nose of his board to execute a hang ten, a move he had only just perfected during his last surf session, and one that was highly difficult. He heard the audience’s roar, as loud as the ocean itself, and he smiled widely holding up a shaka (hang loose sign) before bowing and then diving into the water.  
Keith was in awe as he watched Lance on what was probably his final run. Go big or go home was definitely his style, but it wasn’t the impressively complex trick he had just performed that made his breath catch. No, it was the confident smile as bright as the sun that he wore on his face while doing so, an oddly familiar smile. Suddenly, Keith was back atop his cliff when he was ten, the wind playing with his hair as his eyes followed two surfers gliding around each other below him. One of those being a lanky boy with caramel skin and the same confident smile on his face. A horn pierced through his thoughts, and he shook himself free of his daze, though his heart was pounding and his breathing irregular. Lance was the surfer he had grown up watching?

Then he suddenly got a face-full of brown hair as Pidge hugged his waist in her excitement. All the spectators were standing, clapping and whistling wildly, staring at the surfers who were returning back to shore, some doing crazy moves for the heck of it while others took it easy. Keith was caught up in the celebration, Pidge dragging him to his feet, but his whole body was still buzzing from the realization. Could that be right?  
Keith shook his head, pushing those thoughts away for later, and embracing his friends in a group hug after they had set their boards down. The coolness of their soaked suits providing some relief for the heat and clearing Keith’s head momentarily. Everyone was congratulating Lance on his feat, and he was offering modest replies, though his blinding smile betrayed his excitement. Someone caught his eye and he shot them finger guns, and Keith glanced over his shoulder to see Lotor scoff, his earlier nonchalance replaced by contained rage. Then Lance caught Keith’s eye and he winked, but Keith quickly adverted his gaze, suddenly not knowing how to act around Lance. Should he tell him? Keith’s thoughts were eating him alive, and he felt dizzy.

Everyone settled down as they awaited the judges’ results, excited whispers mingling with the steady pounding of the waves. Keith’s unblinking gaze was trained on Lance, staring at the back of his head, following the drops from his hair down his prominent spine- his wetsuit was gathered around his waist. Suddenly everyone around him threw their hands in the air, cheers escaping their mouth and they were all giving Lance high-fives and hugs. Keith vaguely recognized the scratchy droning of a voice, but he had been too far in his own head to understand what had been said. He quickly schooled his features as Lance turned to him.

“Long live the king, mullet,” Lance smirked and winked.

Keith rolled his eyes but didn’t try to stop his lips from quirking and gave him a high-five. Though that didn’t seem to appease Lance, and as their hands met he wrapped his fingers around Keith’s wrist, pulling him into a hug in his excitement. Keith froze, eyes wide and arms awkwardly hovering in surprise, but he quickly recovered, patting Lance’s back and then grimacing at his now wet hand.

“Dude, now I’m soaked!” Keith groaned, pushing Lance away and flicking his arms in an effort to rid himself of the droplets soaking into his clothes and skin. Lance’s smirked like the evil person he was at the moment, and Keith glared at him.

“Sorry, dude, I should’ve warned you about that,” Hunk appeared, looking apologetically at Keith. “That’s his favorite thing to do to us whenever he’s wet and we’re not. And he gets me every time!” 

Lance patted his shoulder. “One day you’ll learn, but today is not that day, my friend. So, how’d everyone do? I missed the rest of the results because of mullet over here.”

“Oh oh! Allura placed third, Coran fourth, and I got fifth!” Hunk said excitedly, eyes gleaming.

“Do I even want to ask who got second?” Lance said monotonously. 

“Nope.”

Lance growled, but then his features smoothed out and he breathed in deeply. “You know what this calls for? A celebration!” He suddenly yelled, his spontaneous, playful self back in full. 

“Like what, going out for ice cream?” Keith cocked his head. 

“You have a lot to learn,” Lance shook his head, biting his lip to try and stop the smile threatening to break free. “No, we don’t celebrate with ice cream, we celebrate with a bon fire and booze!”

Keith’s mouth formed the word ‘oh’ and he ducked his head, eyes falling to the sand, obviously embarrassed. Lance smiled softly at his expression; he looked so soft.

“It’s gonna be a great time! You are coming right?” Lance ducked his head to catch Keith’s eyes, something he didn’t exactly think out because as soon as those exotic eyes locked onto him he was breathless. They were like the color of the sky at twilight, the inky blue of midnight clashing with a dark purple.

“Of course, I’m coming,” Keith said softly, though it was still defiant.

Lance smirked, then spun on his heel. “Coran!” He shouted, making everyone around him flinch, but he took no notice and continued to march up to the mustached man.

“Yes, Lance, I think tonight would be a lovely night for a party.” The man said matter-of-factly, curling his damp mustache- though it still looked impeccable- how?

“Wha- how did you know what I was going to ask?”

“Please, I know you too well, my boy!” Coran replied with a smile.

“That you do, Coran. That you do,” Lance chuckled, shaking his head.

 

Keith had wanted to stop by his house before the party tonight and had invited Shiro in since he drove Keith home. Keith’s mind was still whirring from his earlier discovery, and everything he did was choppy and frantic, mind still occupied. He hoped Shiro wouldn’t notice, but of course that man took notice. He watched Keith stumble around his room, cursing as he tried to find his phone, and Shiro raised an eyebrow.

“What’s up?”

Keith jerked, hitting his head on his bed where he had peered under in his search, and rubbed his head ruefully, turning towards Shiro with a pout.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he grumbled, not meeting Shiro’s eyes.

“Come on, Keith, I know you too well!” Shiro responded sternly. 

Keith stood, eyes still downcast, then he flopped onto his bed with a loud sigh. Shiro stayed quiet, allowing his friend to gather the necessary courage to say whatever was on his mind.

“Do you remember those surfers I told you about from my childhood?” Keith said suddenly, voice hushed.

“The ones you would watch from atop the cliff? Of course, it was one of the few things you would talk about with me.”

“One of them was Lance.” Keith said bluntly, getting to the point.

“Are you certain?” Shiro blinked; he hadn’t been expecting anything in particular, but that was definitely something he wasn’t expecting.

“I’m sure of it, Shiro. The way he surfed had seemed unusually familiar, and only when I saw him smile after he rode in the tube did it all click,” Keith scrubbed a hand down his face. “The last summer I had seen those surfers, the boy my age had spent the whole time trying to do this one move. I never saw him succeed, but he never gave up. When Lance did the hang ten today, everything snapped into place. It’s him! That’s the move his partner was trying to teach him some ten years ago!”

“Okay, and this has you so worked up because…?” Shiro smiled gently.

“He can’t find out I was basically stalking him every summer for- for how many years? Too many, that’s how many!” Keith cried out, throwing his hands up from where he laid on the bed.

“Keith,” Shiro sat down on the bed, the mattress sinking under his weight and making Keith roll into him. The boy grimaced and Shiro chuckled. “You weren’t stalking him. You were, like, ten years old and didn’t even know what that was! And you don’t have to tell him, it’s not anything serious. Just don’t let the past control the present or the future, that’s behind you and can’t be changed, what’s ahead depends on what you do now. A surfer never looks back once he’s caught a wave, he rides it out and has some fun in the process.”

“Oh no, Shiro, you’re officially a beach bum! You’re using surfing metaphors!” Keith groaned, but he had a thoughtful smile on his face.

Shiro ruffled his hair, a sound of protest escaping Keith, who retaliated by tickling Shiro. They toppled over, rolling dangerously close to the edge of the bed.

“So, that’s how it’s going to be?” Shiro laughed, hands searching for Keith’s ticklish spots. “Damn you and your non-ticklish ways!”

Keith laughed haughtily. “Shouldn’t have told me where your spots are, Shiro! Don’t blame me, blame your fourteen-year-old self!”

Shiro grunted, and tried to roll Keith off of him, but forgot they were close to the edge and watched in horror as Keith began to slip off Shiro and over the edge. Shiro rolled instinctively, trying to catch Keith with a hand, but instead Keith latched onto his arm, taking Shiro with him. Luckily, Shiro caught himself before he crushed Keith, who was laughing so hard he was curling in on himself.

Shiro shook his head and chuckled, sitting back on his haunches and running a hand through his hair. “Come on, let’s get ready.”

 

The last of the sun’s rays were peaking over the horizon, bathing everything in a violet haze, and a cool breeze was gently blowing across the sand. Tendrils of the fire reached for the sky, swirling and popping, releasing sparks resembling fireflies into the air. It was a peaceful night, the ocean smooth with occasional small waves, adding a steady and calming background. Keith sighed contentedly, staring into the fire, watching the air currents manipulate it, and then followed the sparks upwards, mixing with the stars beginning to twinkle into existence. He smiled at the sound of laughter traveling around the pit, where everyone had set up beach chairs, each holding a drink in their hand. 

When Lance had suggested a party, Keith had immediately thought of those wild, uncontrolled parties Hollywood always presented, but quickly found that this group’s parties focused more on the spending-time-together aspect than the get-drunk-as-quickly-as-possible part. Though, that didn’t mean drinking wasn’t involved. They had just finished a game of never-have-I-ever, and Keith had learned some surprising things, and was pretty sure they all had a buzz after that.

“Pidge! Hit it!” Lance’s voice rang out, and he jumped up, dramatically pointing at the stereo sitting beside Pidge, who, at her name, poked a button on the stereo.

Beats immediately filled the air, and Lance bobbed his head to the upbeat tempo, and once the words started held his beer bottle like a microphone.

“Cruisin’ down the highway with my friends, top down, and we’re all on our way to the beach,” Lance sung, dancing around the fire, and recruiting Hunk and Allura with him. 

They all had surprisingly good voices, and Keith found himself laughing at the dramatic moves Lance did, and even started clapping to the beat with Shiro, and Coran executed some interpretive dance moves- he was surprisingly nimble and flexible. Keith laughed harder when a rosy-cheeked Hunk grabbed Pidge and threw her on his shoulders, hands holding her feet in place until she gave up her struggle. Then Allura took control of the lyrics, arms thrown out wide as she danced.

“Crossing sandy dunes, hot day mid-June, naked kids running wild and free,” she belted, “It’s summer time fun, relax and stay young! You could be home with Oprah Winfrey!” Keith snickered, cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling so hard.

“The water feels nice, dive deep down under where ships and treasures may creep,” Lance jumped in again. 

“Just one of those days, sky blue, perfect wave, come out and join, you’ll see!”

They all twirled and swayed in rhythm with the song, and everyone was laughing and having a good time. It was unlike anything Keith had experienced before, something he never thought he’d get to experience, and it made him feel warm. This was his life now, these were his friends, who had accepted him without hesitation. It was surreal.

Then a hand came into view, a tan hand, and he glanced up, finding blue eyes sparkling with mirth staring back at him.

“Come on, dance with me, have some fun!” Lance smiled.

Keith glanced over at Shiro, hoping for some help, only to find Allura dragging him to his feet. Shiro was blushing and stammering, and Keith rolled his eyes- he’s so far gone and will be of no help. So, Keith sighed and took Lance’s hand with a shaky smile, yelping slightly when Lance jerked him to his feet and immediately into a spin. The cool sand under Keith’s feet calmed his nerves but made keeping his footing a challenge as Lance tugged him back around. Luckily, though, Lance caught Keith as he came out of the spin before he could fall. Keith caught his breath as Lance lead them into small swaying, his brilliant smile never leaving his face as he hummed along to a new song, eyes locked onto the sky above them.

Keith glanced up too, but as their breathing intermingled he became hyper aware of how close they were; if they both looked straight ahead their noses would almost touch. Lance’s hands on Keith’s shoulders seemed to burn as hot as the fire behind them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to pull away. He felt comfortable, safe even. Then those bright blue eyes turned back on him, and Keith saw gold flecks from the fire’s sparks intermingling with blue; his breath hitched. He watched the light from the fire dance over his skin, shadows pooling and receding, sharpening then softening his features. Lance’s hair was curling slightly on his forehead, and Keith fought the urge to brush it back. Lance’s smile grew dopey, and Keith froze as his hands suddenly carded through Keith’s hair, leaning his head back slightly, as he pulled it back and away from his face. Keith sighed at the sensation of nails on his scalp and fingers through his hair, and his eyes fluttered closed. Then a sharp tug on his hair pulled his head back and he grimaced, opening his eyes to glare at Lance as he finished securing the band.

“I like it better this way,” the boy whispered.

Keith let his hand wander up his neck, then found a small ponytail at the base of his head, and he smiled, shaking his head, a couple of shorter hairs escaping already. 

“Whatever,” he chuckled, glancing back at the others to find Allura and Shiro still dancing while Pidge and Hunk roasted some hot dogs on sticks over the fire, and Coran was mixing some more drinks from the cooler. 

“Hey, wanna take a walk with me?” Lance’s voice, soft and breathy, drew Keith’s attention once more- it always will. 

“You’re not going to kidnap me, are you?” Keith teased, already dropping his hands from Lance’s shoulders and walking past him, shoulders brushing.  
“Mm, maybe I will,” Lance slurred, smirk unruly.

Keith stumbled, but blamed it on the sand, not daring to look back Lance, neck stiff and eyes staring out at the horizon. But the tension in his body melted away as Lance easily fell into step beside him, and the boys fell into an easy silence, feeling the sand beneath their feet and wind in their hair. They observed the ocean, listening to its waves and feeling the mist in the air. Then Lance bent down and picked up a large shell, reeling his arm back and tossing into the waves, the shell skipping a couple times before sinking beneath the blue. Then he retrieved another one, doing the same thing. Keith grabbed his own, attempting to chuck his further than Lance, and a silent competition was started.

“So,” Keith grunted as he threw another shell, smirking at the satisfying plop it made. “What got you into surfing?”

Lance threw the last shell, then sunk to the sand, setting his arms atop his knees. “My sister.” His eyes were focused on the horizon, dark like the ocean without the fire lighting them. “She was the one who taught me. I knew I was always meant to surf, I mean, I’m the stereotypical surfer; my mother was a surfer, not professionally, but still damn good, and all my siblings learned- though I’m the most ambitious one now. I also grew up in a small beach town, so it was kind of inevitable.” Lance smiled softly, but it was a ghost of his previous smiles.

Keith frowned and sat down beside Lance, who looked to have lost his usual energy. It didn’t make sense to Keith, this boy loved surfing, and Keith thought he would be glad to boast about it.

“You don’t seem happy to talk about it. Why? You’re a damn good surfer too, Lance. You could probably go professional if you wanted to!”

Lance’s eyes flashed with something Keith had never seen on Lance before, and the sun-kissed boy smiled wryly; Keith didn’t like it.

“Surfing may be a source of peace in my life, but it’s also brought the most pain.” 

And that was the end of that conversation; Keith could see as Lance retreated into himself, his mask coming back as he let his dark emotions fade from his face. He had more questions after that last statement, but he knew what it was like to be pushed into sharing something obviously personal, so he relented. He wanted the carefree, teasing Lance back, so he changed the topic.

“Did I ever tell you I used to watch two surfers atop my cliff when I was younger?” Keith barely whispered, and once the words were out he immediately hoped Lance hadn’t heard him.

“I think you mentioned it once,” Lance replied, taking a deep breath. “It was your own way of achieving peace, right?”

“Yeah,” Keith smiled softly, ducking his head in embarrassment. “The cliff was my personal retreat, then the surfers just happened along one day, and kept coming back. I would always look forward to watching them every summer.” Keith side-eyed Lance, who was smiling softly out towards the ocean.  
“Did you ever find out who they were?” Keith shook his head after a moment’s hesitation. “Well, I think it’s still cute. They’re out there somewhere and may never know of your admiration!” Lance chuckled.

“What shall I ever do?” Keith said, trying to sound dry and, in his mind, succeeding.

Keith let his shoulders relax, and he let out a silent breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, tucking his head down on his knees to hide the smile lifting his lips. Cute. Lance thought it was cute and not creepy. A giddy thrill ran through him, airy giggles clawing up his throat, but he quickly choked it down. They passed the rest of the time in comfortable silence, breaths mirroring the rhythm of the waves.

Keith shivered, the dampness of the air finally seeping into his bones, and he stood, brushing the sand off his legs and swim trunks, then extended a hand. Lance shook his head a little, Keith’s hand seeming to break him from his thoughts, and cracked a smile, taking the hand, but made no effort to get up. Keith cocked his head at the boy.

“Come on, Keith,” Lance spoke, his playful tone back. “I’m not going to get up on my own.” Then he let himself flop back, dead weight, and Keith stumbled forward as he was pulled with him. 

“You think I can lift your royal ass by myself?” Keith grunted, making a show of tugging on Lance’s arm. “You’re mistaken!”

“That’s no way to speak to a king, Keith! You really ought to watch your mouth,” Lance chided, wagging a finger up at him. 

“Now you’re just asking too much from me,” Keith huffed, blowing the escaped strands of hair out of his face, and pulling as hard as he could on Lance’s arm.

Lance’s body lifted slightly, back arching off the ground, and Lance only laughed harder. Then suddenly he sprung up, and Keith yelped, tripping as he tried to right himself, but only succeeded in falling backwards, pulling Lance with him, who also yelped at suddenly falling in the other direction. Keith felt his breath leave him as Lance fell on top of him, their limbs tangled; his knee was jabbing Lance in the stomach, and Lance’s elbowed him in the side and collarbone. Both of them seemed to freeze, breathing halting, then they burst out laughing, bodies slumping against the cool sand as they relaxed.

“Great, now I’m going to have sand in my hair for a week,” Keith grumbled lightheartedly once he recovered his breath.

“That’s what your concern is right now? I’m going to have so many bruises tomorrow,” Lance groaned, lifting his head to glare at Keith, but it lost its heat when he realized how close they were.

Lance could feel Keith’s breath on his lips, and everywhere his body was touching Keith’s immediately heated up. He stared into Keith’s eyes, falling into the violet pools, believing the secrets of the universe to be held in their inky depths. And Keith stared right back, just as frozen as Lance as was in their current situation. The only movement coming from him was his chest expanding with each breath, until he blinked, and Lance watched his lashes brush over ivory skin. 

Then Lance scrambled back, cheeks burning but he played it off as the alcohol in his system, though that was a totally sobering incident. He held out a hand for Keith, smiling down at the disheveled boy, who still looked as sheepish as Lance felt. When they were both on their feet, walking back to the bonfire with their hands in their pockets, eyes on their feet, Lance bumped their shoulders, easing the tension and relighting the playfulness between them. They ended up racing back to the bonfire, Keith shouting in triumph, declaring he had won, but of course Lance couldn’t just let him have the win even if he had beaten Lance by a step (only because Lance stumbled over his feet right at the end, which he blamed on the drinks- Keith didn’t look convinced).

The others didn’t even seem to realize they had left in the first place, nor did they seem to think anything of it. Pidge currently had her phone out, face lit up by the screen as she recorded Coran doing some kind of martial arts routine, which Lance was sure looked better in his head. Hunk was asleep in a chair, snoring loudly and oblivious to the numerous solo cups balanced on his head and shoulders and legs, and Allura and Shiro were laying on some towels staring at the stars, shining white hot in the navy sky. The fire was still burning bright, and Lance and Keith settled in front of it to chase away the chill from their walk. They got lost in the flames, the cracking and popping of the fire occasionally breaking them from their trance as they followed the sparks rising into the sky.

After a while, Lance sighed loudly, and when no one reacted, he groaned louder. Keith raised an eyebrow at him, and Pidge glanced over her shoulder, but continued to film Coran, who was now making a sand angel while spouting something in another language- maybe French? Or was that Portuguese? Lance wasn’t sure, nor did he care at the moment. He had one thing on his mind. He groaned louder and more dramatically, drawing out the noise painfully long. Allura and Shiro were now standing and looking at him in concern, and Hunk woke up suddenly, all the cups crashing down, and he looked around for the source of the horrifying noise, eyes settling on Lance with a sigh. 

“Pidge, what time is it?” Lance said nonchalantly, ignoring the stares he was getting.

“Uh, 11:58?” Pidge retorted, turning away from Coran now, who was now asleep. 

“So, almost midnight?” Everyone still looked blankly at Lance, and he huffed and crossed his arms. So, he started pulling his shirt over his head, then tugged his sweats down- he swears he heard Keith squeak- to reveal his swim trunks.

He watched as realization suddenly dawns on the group, and Hunk stood, yawning and stretching his arms above his head before pulling his own shirt off. Pidge was already in her swim gear but set her electronics down in a secure place. Shiro and Allura quickly got ready too, leaving their discarded clothes on their towels. Keith just looked confused.

“It’s time for the midnight swim!” Lance explained, fixing him with a bright grin.

Keith frowned, eyebrows scrunching together. “I’m not getting in the water. It isn’t exactly a hot night!”

“Maybe not, but it’s warm enough! Come on, Keith, grow thicker skin!” Lance prodded him, but Keith remained unyielding. “It’s tradition for our group, which you’re a part of now. Consider this an initiation.”

“Lance,” Keith huffed.

“Keith,” Lance mirrored his tone and pose. “Don’t make me get Shiro to throw you in.”

Keith blanched at that, and Lance chuckled, knowing he got him. Keith growled at Lance, never breaking eye contact as he shrugged off his jacket and shirt, tossing them on the ground defiantly. Lance just gave him an innocent smile, batting his eyelashes for effect.

Everyone lined up on the beach- minus Coran who shouldn’t be swimming anyways- and at Lance’s attempt at a horn noise, they all rushed in. Keith more hesitant than the rest, pausing when his feet hit the water and immediately wrapping his arms around himself, lifting one foot out of the water as if he could just hover above the waves.

“You scared, mullet?” Lance called over his shoulder and watched with satisfaction as Keith stomped his foot down and stalked deeper into the water, though his face quickly morphed as if his fire was slowly dimming.

But he didn’t stop until he was right in front of Lance, water lapping just beneath his shoulders; he stuck out his tongue and Lance returned the favor. The group then organized a game of chicken, Hunk and Lance immediately teaming up- they held the record and was always the team to beat. Pidge claimed Keith, but it didn’t matter because it seemed Allura and Shiro had already agreed to be partners.

“We’re going to demolish them,” Pidge sneered, eyes glinting as she stared at Lance and only Lance. 

Keith chuckled, doubting that seeing as they both weighed practically nothing, but he wasn’t one to accept defeat so easily. Pidge climbed up his shoulders, unsurprisingly nimble, and they squared up, awaiting their next direction. Lance quickly explained everything, and in the end, it was Shiro and Allura versus Lance and Hunk, Keith and Pidge having been knocked down by Shiro and Allura as easily as Keith had expected. But after a couple of rounds, Keith and Pidge still unable to achieve victory, they switched partners. The new teams were Pidge and Hunk, Keith and Shiro, and Lance and Allura. Keith saw these teams as more evenly matched, but Shiro and him were still totally going to win- no one could beat their brotherly teamwork. But, Keith quickly found that the other teams had just as much chemistry, and they all liked to play dirty. He found himself laughing and teasing his friends, chill forgotten as they lost themselves in their game under the stars. 

By the time they called it quits, Keith was shaking violently, but still wore a wide smile despite his chattering teeth. He raced to the fire, but it wasn’t warming him up fast enough. Then he felt the weight of a towel on his shoulders and he greedily clutched at it, turning to find Lance beside him, wrapped in his own towel, hair mussed into a mohawk. Then everyone else joined them, and they silently stared in to the flames, watching them flicker; the only sound being the waves and the popping of the fire. 

“Will you do the honors, Lance?” Allura finally spoke up, smiling softly.

Lance broke from his trance and nodded, standing and retrieving a guitar from behind his beach chair, before settling down beside Keith once more. He strummed, adjusting it until he was content with how the strings sounded.

“Accompany me, buddy?” Lance looked across the fire at Hunk, who smiled warmly and drew out his own stringed instrument- a ukulele. 

They started the very familiar tune of ‘Hallelujah,’ Lance’s guitar making up the lower tones and Hunk’s ukulele subtly intermingling on the higher notes; it sounded like the two instruments were dancing, perfectly in step with the other. Then Lance started to sing, and Keith’s world stopped. He had to check to make sure his jaw was not in the sand, because he had never expected that Lance’s voice could sound like that. So soft and so full; it washed over Keith like water, gently tugging at his heart.

“Well I heard there was a secret chord, that David played, and it pleased the Lord, but you don’t really care for music, do you?” Lance’s eyes fluttered closed, his lips looking so soft as they moved. “It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift. The baffled king composing, hallelujah,” Lance started out slow and soft, voice drifting like the wind.

His fingers moved swiftly, easily, and Keith stared at them, too afraid to look at Lance’s face. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, and he hugged his knees tighter. Hunk was humming lowly, and just like their instruments, their voices melted together. 

“She tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne and she cut your hair. And from your lips she drew a hallelujah,” Lance’s voice rose slightly, the emotion growing in it.

And then Allura joined in with the chorus of ‘hallelujah’s’, voice soft but soprano to Lance’s alto and Hunk’s baritone. Their voices rose in unison as the song progressed, the power of the song steadily increasing, as were their emotions; Lance’s nose was scrunched, and he was strumming harder, head moving in rhythm with his voice.

“I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch. Love is not a victory march. It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah,” Lance’s and Allura’s voices mixed as their volume rose, then fell softly back into the chorus.

Keith couldn’t help but stare in awe; Lance looked like he was on another world, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Allura was swaying as she sung, face lax and eyes lightly closed as she felt the beat, but Lance was taking the spotlight.

“Maybe there’s a God above, but all I’ve ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya. It’s not a cry you can hear at night,” Lance voice started to rise once more, “It’s not somebody who has seen the light. It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah!”

He fell back into the chorus, voice wavering as one hallelujah bled into the other. Then he slowly faded out, his guitar strums less frequent, and Hunk’s ukulele shined through, beginning a new beat. Hunk’s larger hands moving delicately over the strings, creating a soft, upbeat, Hawaiian-esque tune. Then he started humming, voice deep but still managing to sound as light as air. Keith leaned forward, eager to hear him sing.

“Some-where over the rainbow, way up high. And the dreams that you dream of, once in a lull-aby-eye-eye,” his voice was gentle and warm, and Keith felt himself drawn in.

Everyone had their eyes closed, swaying with the beat at various degrees, but Keith was stuck staring again, watching Hunk’s lips and fingers strum as if he couldn’t quite comprehend this big guy was singing with the gentlest voice he’s ever heard. Then Lance’s shoulder bumped his, and he glanced over, finding the softest light in the boy’s blue eyes, but they weren’t turned on him, they were gazing up at the sky.

“Well, I see trees of green and red roses too. I’ll watch them bloom for, me and you. And I think to myself- what a wonderful world,” Hunk’s voice stayed steady, volume never rising from its hypnotic softness.

“The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky. Are also on the faces, of people passing by. I see friends shaking hands, singing ‘how do you do?’ They’re really singing, I…I love you,” Keith gazed at his friends around the fire. Allura and Shiro sitting cross-legged, swaying in unison, soft smiles pulling at their lips as they let the music wrap around them. Pidge, leaning against Hunk’s shoulder, jostling slightly with his movements, though she didn’t seem to care. And Lance, who had his face turned up to the sky, eyes now closed, and mouth moving silently in time with the words. Keith smiled to himself, turning back to Hunk and falling into the warm, fuzzy feeling that was quickly spreading through his body, sending him into a comfortable haze. This was the life he had always wished for. No worries, no conflicts, just surrounded by friends.

“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” Hunk fell back into humming and slowly faded out. 

Everyone erupted into cheers and hollers, clapping vigorously, and smiles as bright as the fire could be seen around their small ring. The trance Hunk had put them in blew away, and Lance jumped up, turning the stereo back on, the air filling with energetic beats once more. 

And that’s how they passed the rest of their time, dancing around the fire, laughing with each other with not a care in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs featured in this chapter:  
> 1\. Naked Kids by Grouplove  
> 2\. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole  
> ~Thank you all for reading! Always love hearing from ya! What'd you like? dislike? Anything you want to see more of? I won't know unless you tell me!  
> Also, if anything doesn't make sense, or if you want me to expand on something more just let me know!   
> Until next time, take care of yourselves!


	4. CHAPTER FOUR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with more beachiness! This is a klance centric chapter *wink wink*! Enjoy!

Keith closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh. He was sitting at his spot on the cliff, something he must have never grown out of, and let the waves below lull him into peace. This was a huge step up from sitting on the roof of the orphanage, where only the sound of horns and smell of pollution would reach him, but he had endured it for a moment of solitude. But that was the past, and the cool breeze rifling through his loose hair and the salty smell on the wind was his present. Ever since he realized Lance was the surfer he had watched when younger, he came out here more often, hoping he would see Lance down below once more, though he knew it was wishful thinking. Lance had stopped coming for a reason, a reason he has yet to tell Keith, not that he minded. People were allowed to keep secrets, and personally, he kept plenty.

Keith shook his head, catching sight of a stone lying beside him, which he quickly grabbed, smiling at the warmth as he weighed it in his palm. Then he stood and chucked it as far as he could, throwing his secrets and worries and past experiences with it, watching with a smile as they plummeted into the water below. He grabbed another stone, then another, finding his inner weight lighten with each throw. Keith smiled with a sigh, holding his arms out as the wind picked up, buffeting around him and forcing him to widen his stance to stay planted where he was. Keith loved the power of the wind, the feel of its resistance against him, made him feel powerful and tangible. 

“Hey, man,” a warm voice said from beside him, soft enough to prevent startling Keith seeing as he was near the edge of a cliff.

Keith opened one eye and saw Lance standing beside him, mirroring his pose, hair ruffling and sunglasses slipping down his head from the force of the wind.

“Hey,” Keith’s lips quirked. 

“Enjoying the wind?” There was no teasing in his voice, just a simple statement.

“Old habits die hard,” Keith shrugged, then dropped his arms, Lance doing the same. “It was one of my favorite things to do when I was younger, guess it still is.”

“I get that. Reminds me of the pull of the water when the wind picks up like this,” Lance sat down, stretching his legs before him, and Keith followed, tucking his legs to his chest, both gazing out at the horizon, where the sun was burning bright orange. “Looks like I’m just in time for the sunset.”

“It is a great view; I come out every night I can, sometimes I even eat my dinner out here.” Keith chuckled, and Lance flashed him a bright smile.

“Sounds romantic,” Lance wiggled his eyebrows.

“Yeah, just me eating up here alone, so romantic,” Keith rolled his eyes, but let out an amused huff.

“Well, maybe I’ll join ya’ one night.”

Keith pressed his face into his knees to hide the giddy smile that forced its way onto his face. “Sure, I’d like that.”

“Great, it’s, uh, it’s a date, then,” Lance said quietly, and Keith’s breath caught.

He remained quiet though, not wanting to know which connotation behind that words Lance had in mind. Keith knew what he wanted it to mean.

“This is where you used to watch those surfers, yeah?” Lance said after a moment of comfortable silence.

“Yeah, like a stalker,” Keith said.

“Dude, you were like, what? Ten? Besides, they probably knew you were there, but just didn’t say anything. It’s not like surfers mind being watched.”

“I guess so,” Keith muttered, heart fluttering in his chest. Lance didn’t think he was a creep.

“Speaking of surfing, you ready for tonight?” Lance bumped his shoulder into Keith.

Keith cocked his head, then groaned in realization. He completely forgot, Lance was taking him out to teach him how to surf tonight. “I totally forgot that’s tonight, my mind was a little preoccupied earlier.”

“Oh, well we could always do it another night,” Lance trailed off quietly, shoulders slumping slightly.

“No! No, tonight’s perfect!” Keith assured him. “It just slipped my mind, not because I wasn’t looking forward to it though.”

Lance perked up, his smile reappearing at full power. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Keith nodded, smiling softly for further encouragement.

To be honest, Keith was a little nervous for tonight. Shiro was the one that started this, letting it slip that Keith wanted to learn- which was a lie- and Lance quickly jumped at the chance in that overly confident way of his, and Keith had gone along if it meant spending more time with Lance, and Shiro knew that was his reasoning as well because he gave him the stare from across the table with a knowing smirk afterwards. Keith had voiced his concerns about others seeing him because he had never surfed in his life, so Lance offered to do a night session. The ocean had been pretty calm recently, no incidents this week while lifeguarding, and the waves have been pretty mild as well, perfect conditions for beginners- that’s what Lance had said. Keith agreed, and now the day was upon him. He gulped and hugged his knees tighter.

“Hey, it’ll be fun. We’ll take it slow, get your feet under you. I know I make it look so easy, but it takes a lot of balance that only comes with practice,” curse that cocky grin he was wearing. Keith wished he could already surf and challenge him, but he knows the moment he tries to stand on the board, he’s going to faceplant into the water.

“It’ll probably take more than one night to teach this land-dweller how to surf,” Keith replied, smiling softly to show Lance his words were appreciated.

“We’ll take as many nights as we need,” Lance replied without hesitation, and Keith dared a glance at him, sucking in a breath to cool his quickly heating skin, but Lance was just smiling out at the horizon. Of course he was, this was probably normal for him. He grew up on the beach surfing and has probably taught tons of other people, so Keith was no different.

They finished watching the sunset, the only sounds coming from the ocean below and the occasional bird, as the blue of the sky melted into orange and pink and purple until they began to be swallowed by navy.

“Ready? We gotta stop by my house real quick to pick up the boards. I’ve got the perfect one in mind for you, but I want to make sure you’ll be comfortable with it.”

“Okay, but I don’t think I’m going to be comfortable on any board.” Keith chuckled, standing up and brushed his shorts off, extending a hand to pull Lance up, who sighed loudly as he stretched his arms over his head.

Lance led the way to his car, a blue convertible, and as soon as he turned the key in the ignition, Keith’s ears were assaulted with pounding beats. He couldn’t help but cringe, hands half raised to cover his ears until Lance turned it down, immediately apologizing.

“Sorry, I like the music to permeate my bones,” Lance said.

“I like my music loud too, but that was just plain deafening,” Keith said, chuckling. “Shooting for losing your hearing by 30? Cause that’s what’s going to happen.”

“You sound like my mom, geez,” Lance punched his arm, then pulled out of the drive way. 

Keith quickly threw his hair up, not wanting the wind to twist it into knots- that was never fun, and Keith has spent plenty of nights in his bathroom dragging a brush through his hair as tears sprung in his eyes, which is why he now invests in apple detangling spray, it works wonders.

Lance pulled up beside a quaint, two-story house, it’s wood shingles streaked from age and bright blue door welcoming. Lance hopped out, Keith following, and opened the garage door, where surfboards covered every wall, neatly hung and categorized. Keith gaped, pausing at the entrance while Lance continued, grabbing Blue with a smile, muttering a few words to her that sounded a lot like pick up lines to Keith, and then reached for a bright red board, a single black stripe trailing down its center. He turned around with a wide smile and held it upright beside Keith, a hand finding his chin as he looked between the two.

“Yeah, this girl’s perfect for you!” Lance nodded with a wide smile. “Her name is Red.”

“Wow, Blue and Red, real original,” Keith teased. “What’s that board’s name? Lilac?” Keith pointed at a purple board with a sea turtle outline on it.”

Lance squawked. “No, that is Princesa! She was my sister’s,” Lance ran a hand along it fondly, eyes growing distant as he seemed to go somewhere else.

“Right. What about that one?” Keith pointed to a huge board, ovular with waves on each side of the board, hoping to bring Lance back to the present.

“Oh,” Lance perked up, smirking as he stretched his arms out to showcase the large board. “We call this guy the Big Kahuna, credit for the name goes to Hunk, he makes me say that to everyone. He’s the only one who can ride him too. He’s too big for me or anyone in my family to handle, at least not since my mom’s age caught up with her- don’t tell her I said that.” Lance chuckled. and Keith joined in.

Then Lance handed Red to Keith. “Here, take her to the car. I’ll grab my girl Blue.” 

Keith hesitantly grabbed the board, afraid he was going to break it, but as Lance let go, giving him the full load, he found it fit comfortably in his grasp. It wasn’t too heavy or too tall to the point where it wasn’t manageable for Keith to carry. He paused by Lance’s car, awaiting to see how Lance wanted the boards in the car. Lance wasn’t far behind and shoved Blue in the back, so she was standing upright, then Red right beside her, like they were passengers in the car. Lance bungeed them securely, just as an extra precaution.

Then Lance snapped his fingers. “Almost forgot about the wet suits!”

“You have one that’ll fit me?” Keith asked, looking at Lance’s lanky figure doubtfully.

“’Course, we still have all our wetsuit that we’ve owned over the years. There’s bound to be one that’ll fit you!”

Keith followed Lance to the back of the garage where a tub sat, duct-tape with the words ‘wetsuits’ written on it on the lid. After rifling around for a couple minutes, Lance held one up and clicked his tongue in satisfaction.

“Here we are, and a red one at that! I love it when things coordinate by coincidence!” 

Keith took the black wetsuit that was accented with red marks, mirroring the one Lance wore, and held it up to his body. It looked the right length and size.

“I noticed everyone- Allura, Coran, Hunk, you- wore these wetsuits at the competition last week. Any specific reason why?” Keith inquired, genuinely curious.

“Hm,” Lance turned an ear towards Keith from where he was stuffing all the misplaced wetsuits back into the tub, not bothering refolding them which Keith was sure was going to come back and haunt him later. “Oh, yeah. Allura’s dad owns the company- Voltron, it’s called- so we get free wetsuits for promoting him. Pretty rad, am I right?”

Keith nodded, folding the wetsuit over his arm. Lance snapped the lid in place, then spun on his heels.

“Alright! Let’s hit go catch some waves!”

Just as they were about to climb into the car- Keith’s hand had just found the handle- Lance’s mother appeared in the front door.

“Mijo! Were you even going to introduce me to your new friend?” She called, waving a dish towel in the air. 

She was strong woman, Keith could tell, which made sense since she used to be a professional surfer, and her skin was as bronze as Lance’s. Her hair was long and wavy, pulled back into a low ponytail. She sported a warm smile, eyes crinkling as she walked out onto the porch.

Lance groaned good-naturedly, grabbing Keith’s wrist as he walked over to his mom. “Mami, this is Keith. He’s a new lifeguard up at the beach. I’m teaching him how to surf today!”

“I see,” she said, turning to Keith. “Don’t listen to any of this boy’s bragging! He may have the title of ‘King’ from those surfing competitions, but I could easily wipe the bottom of the ocean floor with him.” She winked, laughing as Lance pouted.

“In your old age? I don’t think so!” Lance retaliated and received a smack in the face with a dish towel. He blanched, and Keith busted out laughing. 

“Thank you, Ms. McClain, you made my day!”

“What?! I’m supposed to be the highlight of your day! Mamiii,” Lance whined, only making Keith laugh harder.

“Looks like you have some competition then.”

Ms. McClain’s eyes twinkled as she stared at the two boys, her smile morphing into a smirk that made her look alarmingly like Lance. “You boys have fun, I won’t bother you anymore.” She shooed them off her porch with the towel, and in Keith and Lance style, they raced to the car.

“Hah! I win,” Keith said triumphantly as his seat belt clicked before Lance’s.

“What? No way!” Lance gasped, starting the car, but was quickly distracted by the song that filtered out of the radio, turning it up a bit, glancing at Keith to make sure it wasn’t too loud before pulling away.

When they got to the beach, night had fallen, and they were the only ones there. Keith’s nerves relaxed a bit upon that realization. He smiled as his feet hit the cool sand, no longer soaking up the sun’s rays, and he adjusted the grip on his board. Lance came up beside him, holding Blue on his head, a manic smile on his face.

“Ah, it’s a beautiful night…but not as beautiful as me!”

Keith scoffed, of course that’s something Lance would say. Keith decided to not comment on that statement. “Whatever you say, let’s just get started already!”

“Patience, my young Padawan!” Great, he was a movie nerd too, Keith bit his lip. “We have to wax the boards first.”

Lance set his board down and Keith sighed, but set down his board as well.

“What’s so important about waxing the board?” Keith grumbled, not meaning for Lance to hear.

“Whoa, this is the most important part! You would slip right off the board the moment you hit the water without it!” 

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Keith held up his hands, then took a bar of wax from Lance, who smiled at him.

“Glad you see the way of the waters.”

“So, how do I do this? Is it, uh, ‘wax on, wax off’ style or what?”

Lance chuckled. “I appreciate the reference, but no. Your movements should reflect that of the tides, ebb and flow, push and pull.”

Keith watched Lance wax his board before trying his own, surprised at how fast his arms started burning from the motions, but it was oddly calming. Then Lance clapped his hands and announced they were ready to hit the water. They grabbed their boards and made their way towards the water, pausing to let the waves lap at their feet. Keith gazed out at the horizon, a flurry of thoughts going through his mind.

“Nice and slow, remember? And the waves will be gentle since the moon is pretty small tonight,” Lance smiled warmly.

“Right. I’m not scared, I just, this is my first time surfing. As a kid I was more interested in watching than participating, mainly because I watched all those documentaries on the creatures in the sea,” Keith muttered, feeling the need to clarify his hesitancy. 

“I get it. I used to watch those kinds of documentaries all the time. Shark week is, like, a religion in my house!” Lance chuckled. “But don’t worry about that tonight, it’s just you and me in the water.”

Keith nodded, eyes hardening with determination. “Let’s do it!”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Lance chuckled, lightly punching Keith’s arm. “Lemme just set Blue down, then we can jump in.”

“You’re not going to surf?”

“Maybe, maybe not, but right now it’s all about you,” Keith flushed at his words, and was glad it was dark. “It’s kind of hard to teach someone while also trying to balance on a board!”

With Blue secure, the two splashed into the water, swimming a little ways out before Lance told Keith to climb onto the board while he held it in place. Keith hopped up on it on his stomach, crawling forwards a little bit, then sat up, legs hanging in the water. Lance shot him a thumbs up.

“Like a pro!”

Keith scoffed. “Oh yeah, ready to take your title as ‘King,’ watch out!” He said sarcastically.

“I’m gonna stop you right there ‘cause that’s not going to happen,” Lance smirked. “The student never surpasses the Master, and I’m not going to teach you all my tricks.”

Keith rolled his eyes, a playful smile tugging at his lips. He realized that his nerves were gone; Lance had this superpower where he made Keith comfortable in any situation, and now that Keith took a moment to take in his surroundings, he found that he had been worrying for no reason. The ocean stretched far into the horizon, almost blending in with the sky. Keith smiled as he bobbed atop the water, listening to Lance’s voice explaining how he should go about standing. It was a fine science, if his foot was an inch out of place he would lose his balance.

“Wanna try it, or are you too scared?” Lance jabbed.

“Scared? ‘Course not.”

Keith maneuvered onto his knees, the board wobbling only slightly thanks to Lance’s hold at the nose. Then he slowly lifted one leg, making sure to place it on the center of the board like Lance explained, allowing the board to steady before attempting to stand. He stayed crouching low, eyes fixed on the board waiting for the sign that it was going to flip. None came though, and he slowly straightened his knees until they were bent at ninety degrees. His arms were extended on either side of him, stiff as the board beneath him. 

“Look at you go,” Lance’s voice broke through Keith’s tension, and his eyes darted to the man submerged in the water, a wide smile on his face. “Almost perfect form, just bend your knees a little less.” Lance tapped one of Keith’s knees and he slowly raised up, but unconsciously shifted his weight onto his heels and the board tipped backwards, causing Keith to flail.

Lance quickly pushed down on the front of the board, grabbing one of Keith’s hands to steady him. “Whoa there, a little too far,” Lance chuckled, then clicked his tongue as Keith settled, bending his knees a little more and focusing on maintaining his equilibrium. “There, perfect!”

Keith nodded his head, biting the inside of his cheek as he focused on his balance, so much he didn’t notice Lance still had ahold of his hand. Keith internally grumbled; he was already having difficult just standing, he hasn’t even caught a wave yet. Why did Lance have to make surfing look infuriatingly easy!

“Hey, you’ll get the hang of it! This is your first time on a surfboard, I’m sure you weren’t perfect the first time you stepped onto your skateboard!” Keith perked up, Lance had a point. His father had had to hold his arms and jog beside him when he was learning to ride a skateboard. 

“Alright, let’s try this again,” Lance clapped his hands, and Keith stared at him blankly.

“You want me to move?” He said a little incredulously.

“Uh, yeah. What? Are you just going to stand like that for the rest of the time? Practice makes perfect, repetition creates muscle memory,” Lance chided lightheartedly.

Keith groaned, but plopped back down on the board, getting into the starting position on his stomach.

“Let’s try it a little faster than last time,” Lance said, wading back over to the nose of the board.

Keith nodded, then took a deep breath, running through the movements in his head, then pushed himself up. He tucked his legs under him, raised one foot, pausing for a second as the board wobbled, then planted the other foot, slowly raising, a bit unsteady, but he eventually leveled out. Keith grinned proudly at himself.

“Nice job!” Lance cheered. “That was a significant improvement from the last one. You’re just a little far back, to close to the tail, so scoot forward a step.”

Keith glared at his feet in focus as he slowly slid them forward, until Lance told him to stop. He already felt surer, his muscles relaxing into the position and syncing with the bobbing of the ocean.

“Alright, step one complete,” Lance spoke up, moving away from the board. “Think you can do that while moving?”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “No.”

Lance laughed, “Well, there’s no better time to learn than now! That’s why I’m here. Let’s try it.”

“How? There’s no waves big enough to carry me.”

“I’ll be pushing you,” Lance smirked. “Get back on your stomach, we’re doing this before you overthink it!”

Keith reluctantly slid back onto his stomach, gripping the board tight as Lance flipped the board around to face the shore, taking his place at the tail of the board.

“Okay, I’m going to count down from three, then push you and that’s when you get on your feet as quickly as you can! Easy enough, right?” Lance winked, and Keith glared at him over his shoulder.

“Yeah, easy peasy,” Keith drawled sarcastically.

“Sweet! One, two, three!” And then Keith was launched forwards.

He gripped the board tightly, before taking a calming breath and getting his thoughts together. Then he jumped into motion, knowing his movements weren’t as smooth as he would like, and quickly lost his balance, yelping as he fell backwards into the water. When he resurfaced, Lance was beside him, a wide smile threatening to split across his face.

“Don’t say anything,” Keith growled, pushing his bangs out of his face, and spitting out some water.

Lance held up his hands in mock surrender. “Your form was good up until you stood taller. Your feet were a little out of place, so you were easily knocked off balance. Good first try though!”

“Whatever, let’s try it again,” Keith said, grabbing the board that had luckily stayed close thanks to his leash, and swam back to their starting place.

“That’s the Keith I know! Full of determination,” Lance smirked, trailing behind Keith.

They ran through that a few more times, Keith falling each time, though the fire inside him only grew with each failed attempt. The two men no longer spoke as much, Keith was too focused on perfecting this skill. Lance didn’t mind though, he watched Keith with a fond smile on his face.

Keith was never one to back down, not from Lance’s teasing, or from the challenges Lance was constantly throwing his way. That’s something he admires about Keith, he never lets anyone push him around or a roadblock get him down.

Lance was pulled from his thoughts when Keith pulled up in front of him, scowling and thoroughly soaked. “Hey, mullet, why don’t you take a break. You’re making great progress, so you’ve earned it.”

“No,” Keith rasped, his chest heaving. “Not until I stand without falling off the board.”

Lance shook his head, but pushed Keith once more, watching as he gracefully swung upright, his movements considerably smoother than they had been earlier. His form was looking perfect so far, his feet in the right position, and when he started rising he didn’t even wobble. Lance melted at the look of determination on Keith’s face, his eyes stormy and as dark as the night sky. Keith locked all his joints once he was in position and glided across the water.

Lance cheered, jumping in the water as best he could as Keith’s face brightened, a smile cracking his face. He threw a fist in the air, glancing back to look at Lance. After gliding a few more feet, Keith did a cannonball into the water in his excitement, and Lance rushed to celebrate with him, shaking his shoulders when Keith resurfaced. 

“You did it, dude! Told ya’ you’d get the hang of it!” Lance laughed gleefully.

Keith couldn’t contain his joy and relief, the smile on his face starting to ache. “Thanks, Lance,” he said softly, not sure what else to say. They settled into a comfortable silence, hands on each other’s shoulders as they bobbed in the water. 

“Hey, there’s this thing me and my, uh, my sister used to do after our night surfing sessions,” Lance spoke up, voice barely a whisper, eyes downcast. “We’d just lay on our boards and watch the sky. Do you maybe wanna,” Lance trailed off, looking up at Keith through his lashes, sending a pang to Keith’s heart. 

“Yeah,” Keith breathed, locking eyes with Lance. “Yeah, sounds really…peaceful.”

“Cool, cool,” Lance smiled. Then stepped back from Keith, raising a thumb towards the shore. “Im gonna go grab Blue then.”

Keith climbed back onto his own board, watching Lance wade onto shore and pick up Blue before laying on his back, hands folded on his chest. He sighed contentedly, eyes tracing patterns in the stars. Lance joined him, grabbing onto his arm to stop his board, then mirrored Keith’s pose. Lance’s hand stayed on Keith’s arm, so they wouldn’t float away from each other- that was the only reason, Keith told himself. 

“You do this often?” Keith whispered, eyes remaining on the sky.

“Not recently,” Lance replied, just as quietly. “My older sister used to do this with me all the time, but, um,” Lance’s throat closed, his voice fading out.

Keith glanced over to see the other boy biting his lips, eyes tightly closed. He was squeezing Keith’s arm tighter than before, and Keith hesitantly placed his hand over Lance’s. Lance opened his eyes, blinking away the tears threatening to fall, and turned to where Keith’s hand was.

“You’re not alone,” was all Keith said.

“But I, I didn’t say what happened?” Lance said, confused, his eyes searching Keith’s face, which was turned back to the sky to give Lance some privacy.  
“I know, but you don’t have to tell me. I saw that look on my face plenty of times after my dad passed away.”

Lance sniffed. “You’re an enigma, Kogane, you know that? I think I’ve pinned you down, but then you go and do something that throws me off.”

Keith snorted. “No one can pin me down,” he retorted, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Is that a challenge?” Lance smirked, leaning closer on his board. 

Keith turned his head to smirk back at Lance. “Maybe it is.”

They both fell back in quiet chuckles, then back into silence.

“Thanks,” Lance spoke up. “For trying to cheer me up. But I think I need to say this out loud. I’ve always been running from it, and if you taught me anything tonight, it’s that I should always keep fighting to overcome, no matter how many times I fall.” Keith stayed silent but sent Lance a soft smile in his direction. “My older sister was the one who taught me to surf, so understandably we were very close. Almost every evening we were in the water; she taught me everything I know. She was so graceful, effortlessly executing tricks. It made me so jealous, and I became determined, not unlike you, and believe it or not, I also fell off the board more times than not while learning. But my sister kept me from giving up, and I’m grateful for that. But like I said, surfing has brought a great deal of joy into my life, but also pain. My sister drowned when I was twelve. She had gone out at night to surf after a particularly hard day at work, and the waters were probably too turbulent for surfing. She drowned.” Lance paused, eyes blinking rapidly. “I keep surfing because I feel closer to her when I do, though I did stop for a few years afterwards, unable to even touch a board. I could practically hear my sister scolding me,” Lance chuckled wetly. “But surfing is a part of me, and I could never stay away for long.”

Keith sat up, Lance’s hand dropping from his arm, and he turned to Lance. “I think that just makes me admire you even more.” 

Lance’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Keith. “I, that’s…not what I was expecting,” Lance relaxed, a soft smile settling on his face. “Most people just say ‘I’m sorry’ and honestly, it means nothing to me.”

“I know,” Keith replied, eyes watching the water swirl around his legs.

Lance sat up as well, extending his leg until it bumped Keith’s, drawing his navy eyes back to Lance. “Thanks for listening. I didn’t mean to kill the mood, but I already feel lighter.”

“’Course,” Keith reassured him with a nod. “Sometimes the thing we need is just an ear to listen to us. Shiro did that for me, so it was the least I could do.” Keith shrugged.

“Well, I appreciate it,” Lance said, then a mischievous glint came into his eyes. 

He reached out a hand, grabbing Keith’s, the guy didn’t even flinch, and watched as Keith stared up at the sky. Then he suddenly yanked, throwing his body back and sending Keith splashing into the water with a yelp. He came up looking like a wet cat, his hair falling out of its band, eyes narrowed into slits. Lance gave him a lopsided, half-apologetic smile.

Keith lunged, and before Lance could react, he was underwater, hands pushing him down. He surfaced with a gasp and bust out in laughter, abruptly coughing when Keith splashed a wave of water into his mouth. 

“Oh, it’s on!” Lance growled, splashing Keith in retaliation.

The two attacked each other in that manner for some time, neither gaining the upper hand until Lance dives under the water and wraps his arms around Keith’s waist, effectively ‘tackling’ him. Exhausted, that marked the end of their water fight, and they floated in the water as they caught their breath, Lance never letting Keith go, his forehead falling to Keith’s shoulder as their chests heaved in unison. 

Keith felt warm all over, holding his breath every time Lance shifts against him. He closed his eyes and let his head fall against Lance’s, surprisingly not feeling awkward at all, like this was how it was supposed to be. 

“Hey, Keith,” Lance spoke up, breath ghosting across his skin.

Keith lifted his head to look down at Lance, who lifted his own head to catch Keith’s gaze.

“Yeah,” Keith whispered.

“Can I,” Lance paused, eyes flicking away and then flicking back to Keith, gaze hardening with determination. “Can I kiss you?”

Keith’s breath caught in his throat, eyes widening slightly at the unexpected statement. He nodded his head, hands rising to rest on Lance’s shoulders, his body warm despite the cool water. He sucked in another breath, and then Lance’s lips were on his, soft and warm. Keith sighed into the heat that spread throughout his body, eyes closing as he felt himself grow lighter. Hands found their way onto his cheek and in his hair at the base of his neck. Keith let his arms snake around Lance’s back, knuckles rubbing over Lance’s spine. 

Lance pulled away long enough to say, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now,” before diving back in.

Keith leaned back into the water a bit, pulling Lance with them as they moved in tandem. Lance nipped at his bottom lip, and Keith opened up. Lance tasted overwhelmingly like the salt water surrounding them, but without the bitterness, and Keith sighed through his nose. Their legs were tangled, and luckily, they could touch, or else Keith was sure they would be sinking to the bottom of the ocean right now. 

Lance pushed closer to Keith, a low whine coming from his mouth, making Keith smile. Lance tugged his hair in retaliation, but it didn’t read as irritation, rather desperation. 

Their kisses were hot and sloppy, their bodies moving in tandem with the ebb and flow of the ocean, lulling them both into a haze, minds only focusing on each other. Lance propped his legs on Keith’s hips, raising himself out of the water a bit, and he tilted Keith’s head back to deepen the kiss. Keith groaned, hands holding long legs in place, while Lance’s fingers ran through his hair. The water made their movements smoother, and skin glided across each other where they touched, making the whole thing that much more sensual.

They separated, panting hard and looking into each other’s eyes, deciding to communicate that way then use their words, which would surely fail them at the moment. Lance’s hands were splayed over Keith’s cheeks, thumbs wiping away the water droplets running down his face. Keith had his hands clasped under Lance, keeping from slipping off, fingers stretching to brush his leg.

“Lance,” Keith rasped, adjusting his grip so he could trail one hand up Lance’s leg.

Lance’s eyes fluttered close, his head falling onto Keith’s, their foreheads touching. Keith closed his eyes as well, mind clear except for the thought of Lance’s breath on his lips. He nuzzled his head forward, nose brushing across Lance’s cheek, and Lance whined again, twisting his head to the side, exposing his neck.

Keith didn’t think twice, his lips lunged for the soft skin, sucking the salt off of it. Lance’s nails dug into his hair, and they groaned simultaneously. Keith brought his hands up, one resting on the small of Lance’s back and the other at the nape of his neck, letting Lance slide back down, causing them to moan. 

Keith took charge now, leaning Lance back, his hand guiding his head back as well, as his lips trailed up the curve of his neck, under his chin, then finally finding his lips again. Lance’s hands glided over his shoulders then down his chest, resting on his hips, fingers digging into the fabric of the suit, making Keith suck in a breath, pausing the kiss. But a nip from Lance sent things back into motion. 

They lost track of time, finally separating once their boards bumped into them, reminding them they were making out in the middle of the ocean. They looked at each other, then burst into laughter, clutching each other as their shoulders shook.

“We should head back on shore,” Lance said breathlessly. 

“Yeah…,” Keith breathed, eyes drifting to the shore.

“Where we can continue this?” Lance finished with a smirk, and Keith felt his heart skip.

Keith nodded, and untangled his himself from Lance. He grabbed his board, hopping on before sending a smirk Lance’s way.

“Race ya,” then he started paddling away.

Lance squawked, scrambling onto Blue and paddling madly to catch up. They pulled up on the beach in a photo finish, though neither bothered arguing their side this time. Lance trudged up the beach, Blue dragging behind him, and he retrieved their towels, wriggling out of his wetsuit, Keith doing the same, and tossing them onto their boards, leaving them in their swim trunks. Lance tossed a towel at Keith; it landed on his head.  
Lance raised his hands, “Five points!”

Keith grumbled and swiped the towel off his head, haphazardly running it over his hair and then wrapping it around his shoulders. Lance did the same, hair now sticking in every direction, so Keith reached a hand down to smooth it out. Lance grabbed his wrist, pulling him down to his knees, and kissed him. This kiss was gentler than those in the water, and Keith let his hand trail down Lance’s arm, barely brushing it, making goosebumps rise on the skin. Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s neck, pulling him forward as he laid on his back, towel slipping off to spread across the sand. They continued what they were doing earlier, only slowly, taking the time to map each other. It was all soft and warm, fingertips brushing over skin. 

Keith burrowed his fingers into the sand as Lance’s lips grazed the length of his neck. They were entangled, minds in a state of bliss. Keith reveled in it. He had never been this close and this vulnerable with anyone before, and he felt oddly comfortable.

They broke apart, Keith resting his head on Lance’s chest, hearing his heartbeat. Lance threaded his fingers through his hair, making his eyes go half lidded. Lance stared up at the stars, feeling lighter tonight than he ever has, and he sent his thanks towards his sister.

They laid there in comfortable silence for a while longer, then they shifted so both could comfortably stare at the sky. Lance tucking his head into the crook of Keith’s neck, Keith’s arm wrapping around him. 

“Tonight was…better than I expected,” Keith chuckled.

Lance chuckled as well. “Sure was. Wanna do this again sometime?”

“The surfing or the kissing?” Keith raised an eyebrow.

“Both. Both is good.”

Keith just laughed, tugging Lance closer. “Sounds good. So, are we...?”

“A thing? An item? A couple?” Lance interrupted. “Of course. If you want to be, that it.”

“I think tonight is enough of an answer to that question,” Keith smirked, placing a kiss on Lance’s temple.

Lance yawned, and then so did Keith, causing both to laugh again. Then Lance stood, cracking his back, then pulling Keith up as well.

“We should head back, don’t need a lecture about the hazards of falling asleep on the beach.”

“You got that right. Have you heard Shiro’s? He’s got every possibility covered, even one including a freak tornado. I’ll be surprised if he hasn’t made a powerpoint of all the dangers yet.”

Lance chuckled. “He has, he used it on Pidge after she fell asleep for, like, the hundredth time while watching the turtles.”

“I knew it!”

They gathered their wetsuits and boards, trudging back up the beach, exchanging lingering gazes. They secured the boards in the backseat, then drove away with the sound of music filtering through the air, both unable to stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The featured songs this chapter:  
> 1\. Blue Light by Mazzy Star  
> -An absolutely beautiful song. Fun fact: this song is what gave me this au idea. I started a one shot based on it, that eventually developed into this story.  
> 2\. Dive by Coast Modern  
> -I just feel this describes Lance and Keith's interaction this chapter almost perfectly.  
> 3\. Ocean Bloom by Radiohead and Hans Zimmer  
> -It's got a few words, mostly instrumental, but absolutely mesmerizing. A perfect personification of my feelings about the ocean, and to me, the ocean itself. Please check it out!
> 
> ~Thank you to all who continually read this; I enjoy writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it! Let me know if there's something you want to see more or less of, and if anything doesn't make sense, or you have questions about anything at all, hit me up! I'll happily answer! Until next time, stay safe and take care!


	5. CHAPTER FIVE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what this fic needs more of? Shay and Matt.

Keith was sitting at the table in the Lifeguard House, towel hanging around his neck as he attempted to cool off with every else when it happened. The door slammed open and an unfamiliar voice echoed through the house, making everyone else immediately perk up with excited smiles. Pidge dashed into the other room, and then a man, who looked identical to Pidge, only taller, pranced into the kitchen with Pidge wrapped around his waist.

“Honey, I’m home!” Matt yelled dramatically, arms splayed wide. 

Everyone rushed over to the man, greeting him and slapping him on the back, their chatter meshing together in excited chaos. Keith remained seated, staring at the commotion from the side of his eyes, wanting to shrink in on himself. Sure, the team continually told him he was a part of their small family, but being alienated from this seeming celebration made the remaining uncertainty of his place on the team make itself known once more. Then a hand clasped his shoulder, jerking him out of his downward spiral, and he blinked up at the newcomer with wide eyes.

“This is Keith!” Shiro said happily from behind him, hand giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “He's our newest member! Keith, this is Matt, Pidge’s brother. He was in Australia for work.”

“Ah, the Keith that you never shut up about? Nice to finally meet you!” Matt’s smile was warm and genuine, and Keith relaxed, reaching up to shake his hand.

“You too, huh? Seems Shiro told everyone he could about me,” Keith chuckled.

“Now that’s my job!” Lance plopped into the chair next to Keith, snaking an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close, making Keith lose his balance as he almost slid off the chair. He latched onto Lance’s arms, turning his head to glare at him. “As honorary boyfriend, it’s my job to make sure the world knows about you.”

Keith rolled his eyes, and untangled himself from Lance’s arms, which was trickier than one would think; there was muscle on those noodles, and his grip was unrelenting. You free yourself of one hand, but before you can even begin working on the second, it’s latched right back on. But Keith loved it. Lance had told everyone they were together the next day after their first surf lesson a week and a half ago. He had kicked open the door, yelling the news at the top of his lungs, dragging Keith behind him with a firm grip on his wrist. Keith had been a nervous wreck, but no one made a big deal out of it, not that he thought they would, he was just shy. They all had just smiled and began trading money- yes, they had made bets. Keith had only rolled his eyes at the idea, while Lance had gasped scandalously, screeching at Hunk who sheepishly accepted money from Allura. 

“I see,” Matt said with a smirk, then leaned down to whisper not so quietly in Keith’s ear. “He’s a handful that one, keeps you on your toes.”

Lance squawked, and Keith laughed, agreeing with Matt, which only made Lance squawk more. And like that, Keith was at ease, knowing this was where he fit. The rest of their lunch break was passed with Matt telling stories of his time in Australia- a truly beautiful and wild place, in Matt's words. Everyone listened to his stories, enraptured. They all laughed when Matt told him of some of his insect encounters while camping in the wilderness one night (and only one night).

“They have amazing surfing spots out there, though you gotta watch out for the sharks,” Matt turned to Lance, who’s eyes were alight with wonder.

“Pssh, no different from any other place,” Lance waved the comment off. “Besides, I don’t fear sharks, I respect them. Just like everything else ocean related; a mutual relationship is formed when a surfer learns to respect the ocean.”

Keith had heard this numerous times since they started regular surfing lessons, and he always gazed at Lance in awe when he spoke like that. He seemed to age a hundred years and become some kind of personification of the ocean, spouting knowledge like he knew the ocean personally, like they were as close as him and any one of these people crowded around the kitchen right now- which maybe he was. Keith smiled softly, posture relaxed in the chair as the conversation drifted from one topic to another.

Eventually the team had to go back to work, leaving Pidge to excitedly chatter about her own research on the turtles here, which Matt happily listened to with a proud smile. Keith swung onto his quad, wincing when the burning hot metal touched his skin. Then a shirt was thrown at his head, and he pulled it off to find Lance standing in front of him.

“Yes, I know it’s like a thousand degrees out, but you’re pale and burn easily. If you don’t wear that you will be a fish stick by the end of the day!” He said, pointing a finger at Keith, who huffed and pulled the dark cloth over his head.

“Happy?” He huffed. “If I pass out from heat exhaustion, I’m blaming you.”

“Now put some sunscreen on your face, and don’t forget your ears,” Lance pulled out a bottle of 100SPF sunscreen, squirting it on his hand. Keith leaned back as he extended his hand, swatting it away.

“I’m not a child.”

Lance wasn’t deterred by his stubbornness, and grabbed his ponytail- gentle, but firm- and held him in place as he smeared the thick paste over his cheeks and nose and forehead, finishing with his ears. Keith could see Shiro and Hunk snickering ahead of him, Shiro snapping pictures with his phone. Keith flipped them off.

“Okay, now just your arms,” Lance said, getting ready to squeeze more sunscreen out, but Keith was having none of it. 

He started up the quad, which startled Lance, making him squeeze the sunscreen harder than necessary so it splattered everywhere when it landed on his hand. He glared at Keith, but Keith just waved and drove away with Lance shouting after him. Keith chuckled, loving the attention Lance gives him, though at times it can be a little much, which only gives Keith the excuse to mess with Lance and piss him off like the rebellious teenager Lance thinks he is.

The day was uneventful and calm, but the sun was merciless. There was no wind for relief of the heat, and it was so humid at times it felt like you couldn’t breathe. By the time their shift ended, Keith’s shirt was drenched and clung to him uncomfortably, but he was thankful Lance had forced it on him because he didn’t even want to think about how red his skin would’ve been. He was sure his face was somewhat red despite Lance lathering sunscreen on it against his will, but it minimized the damage, so Keith couldn’t complain. He smiled to himself about the fact that Lance cared so much. 

“Oh, man, am I ready for a swim in the ocean,” Hunk said, wiping his face down with his shirt.

The poor guy was in worse shape than Keith, his skin glistening and hair limp like he had already jumped into the waves. But he looked no less cheerful, kind eyes still shining and smile still genuine. He waved to Lance and Allura as they approached the lifeguard stand, Lance waving enthusiastically, blinding smile on his face even though he was sweating profusely as well. His shirt was off, though Keith knew he had had Allura lather him every hour, and he wore the lifeguard issued hat, probably to protect his scalp and hide his sweat-drenched hair. He usually wore sunglasses, but they were unnecessary with the hat, and Lance was constantly worrying about raccoon-eyes. 

Allura hopped down sweetly and rushed over to Shiro, passing him a towel with a smile. She also wore a lifeguard issued hat, her ponytail pulled through it and it swayed as she talked. Shiro smiled at her words as he ran the towel over his head and shoulders.

Lance jumped from the stand and into Hunk’s arms, and they began laughing about some joke Lance had said. If Keith had to guess, it was some lame pick-up line. Lance was full of those, as Keith found out when they started dating, and he would always roll his eyes and Lance would reply with ‘you know you love me.’ And each time, Keith’s heart would clench because Lance just said that word so easily. But Keith would never confirm or deny it, his mouth would dry out and his mind would freeze, so he only moved on with a small smile of his own, or a light shove, or another roll of his eyes, and each time he couldn’t help but feel like he was disappointing Lance. 

Keith was drawn from his thoughts by an arm around his neck, tugging him close to a body.

“Whatcha thinking about? You’ve got that frown you get when you’re thinking too hard about something,” Lance’s voice met his ear.

Keith smiled and slipped under his arm, backing away with a smirk. “Just how smelly you are.”

Lance gasped and put a hand over his heart, acting like he had been shot. “Well, you’re no better! I bet your hair is so greasy right now!” Keith only shrugged; he could care less, and he knew it would frustrate Lance. “You’re a heathen.”

Keith smirked. “But I’m your heathen.”

“That you are, mullet, that you are.” Lance patted his head, then grimaced at the dampness, inadvertently confirming his earlier accusation. “Now let’s hit the waves!” Lance said dramatically, pointing out at the ocean.

They all sighed as they sunk into the water, grateful for the cool slap of the waves. Even Keith ran right in, breaking his usual routine of gradual acclimation. They traded stories, splashed each other, and had the good time they always did before heading back in to see what Matt and Pidge were up to. Shiro said they probably already built a death ray- when those two are together, anything can happen, he defended himself. 

Instead, they found them playing twister with Coran, tangled beyond what Keith thought was even possible. Pidge peaked their head out from under Coran’s torso and Matt’s leg, greeting them with a wild smile.

“How was getting heatstroke?” She grinned.

“How are you even doing that? Your arms and legs are like a foot long!” Lance retorted. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Welcome back, team!” Coran’s head perked up behind Pidge. “Did everything go well today?”

“Like always, Coran, my man!” Lance shot him finger guns, then took the bottle of water Keith passed him.

“Good to see everything didn’t fall apart after I left,” Matt teased, then yelped as they all promptly collapsed, Pidge being the unfortunate one at the bottom.

Once they were up, everyone settled into easy conversation as Hunk and Lance prepared dinner. Pidge eventually challenged Matt to a video game, and the onlookers watched with amusement as the two tried increasingly dramatic tactics to sabotage the other. Keith was amazed at how easily Matt jumped right back in despite being gone for a couple of months, but that’s what one did with family, right? Keith wondered if Matt accepted him, or if he thought Keith was trying to replace him.

Keith’s attention was drawn when Matt knocked the remote against his knee, offering it to him with a wide smile. “I wanna see what skills you got against this gremlin.”

Keith took it with a confident smile. He has been Pidge’s favorite person to drag away and play against while Matt was gone, and she had said as much, which Lance told him was quite an accomplishment. What he hadn’t realized though, was Pidge had been going easy on him. She repeatedly kicked him, which he retaliated with an elbow, and even went as far as sitting on him, hindering his movement as he tried not to accidentally whack her in the head. She cackled like the evil scientist she is, and Keith told her as much, which only made her laugh harder. Keith lost. Shiro took the next round, and Keith climbed back onto the couch in defeat. Matt gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Don’t take the loss so hard, bud, won’t be the last time.”

“It’s not that. I’ve been playing with her since my first day here, but I never realized she was just going easy on me the whole time. She totally played me!” Keith said incredulously, still in disbelief by his realization. 

“That’s how she gets ya,” Matt just laughed, throwing his head back. “It’s her signature move, does it to everyone she likes.” Matt waved a hand in a ‘don’t worry about it’ gesture, eyes returning to the game.

Keith’s lips quirked, and he turned back to the game as well, laughing when Shiro deflated as his character was defeated. “Ha! That’s how it feels!” 

Allura took her on next, perhaps coming the closest but was still defeated, and then Coran took his turn. He yelled out all kinds of exclamations and limbs were flying while he played, but he lacked focus and an understanding of what he was supposed to be doing, and Pidge easily beat him. 

Then Lance’s head popped out from the kitchen and announced the dinner was ready. They all gathered around the table, bringing in extra chairs to accumulate their growing group, and spent the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company. Any doubts about what Matt thought of him was immediately eradicated, and he felt himself relax once more into this family of friends.

 

The next day proved just as hot, but this time there a breeze, the saving grace. For lunch, Hunk made them all subs, which they all thanked him for profusely, but he waved them away like it was no big deal. Keith will never stop being amazed by this man’s kindness. Then Lance pranced in, Allura behind him with a wide smile and sparkling eyes, and everyone froze. These two knew something no one else did, and that was dangerous.

Lance struck a pose and unfurled the piece of paper that Keith just noticed was in his hand. Hunk stepped forward, squinting to read the print. He mouthed the words as he read, then straightened. Everyone looked at him expectantly. 

“A beach volleyball tournament?” Hunk asked Lance curiously, to which Lance nodded.

“Just like the good ole days!” Lance smiled widely. “We’ve got an even number of players, too! I’ve already made the teams, and Allura approves.” Allura nodded behind him, and Lance cleared his throat before continuing. “First up, Hunk and me, the dream team lives once more- sorry, babe, but my reputation is on the line,” Keith rolled his eyes, but smiled nevertheless. “Then we have, Matt and Shiro,” said pair high-fived, “Coran and Allura, Keith and Pidge.”

Keith smiled apologetically at Pidge, he’s never played beach volleyball before, but she only shrugged, showing she could care less.

“Remember, this all for fun, but our reputations are also on the line, so we can’t lose,” Lance said, pointing a finger at everyone in the kitchen. They all chuckled and muttered ‘sure, Lance’ (Shiro) and ‘whatever you say, Lance’ (Keith) and ‘obviously we’re going to win, buddy’ (Hunk). 

Then they all went back to their normal routine, though everyone was eagerly awaiting the tournament in four days. But Keith pulled Lance aside, anxiety churning his stomach.

“Lance, I know nothing about beach volleyball.”

“I know, but you also knew nothing about surfing, but you still tried and look at you now! You stayed upright the entire ride!”

“It was a barely a wave, nothing like the ones you ride, but that’s not the point. I’m going to go out there and make a fool of myself!” Keith protested.

Lance sighed, giving him a gentle look. “It’s all for fun, Keith. No one is really going to judge you, but if it really bothers you so much, I’ll give you some tips beforehand, ‘kay?” Keith nodded. “Good. That’s why I paired you with Pidge, ‘cause I think she only knows how to play from watching her brother.”

“Matt?”

“Yeah, he’s a huge beach volleyball player, as is Shiro. They dominate as a pair, that’s why I paired them up. They have history!”

“Like you and Hunk?”

“Yep, oh, I hope we face them! That’d be quite the game!”

“Shiro would destroy you.” Keith deadpanned, and Lance gasped in offense.

“Babe, you’re supposed to be supportive. And how do you know? You’ve never seen either one of us play!”

Keith shrugged. “I know Shiro and what he’s capable of, and when he gets focused, nothing can stop him.”

“How do you know that’s not true about me?” Lance pouted, stepping in closer. Keith didn’t back away.

“Because,” he tipped his head up so their lips were centimeters apart. “You’re already distracted.” Then Keith slipped by him, following Shiro and Hunk over to their quads with Lance shouting after him.

“What’s got him twisted?” Hunk asked, raising an eyebrow.

Keith smirked. “I have no idea.”

Shiro snorted, then started up his engine, prompting the others to as well. When the day was over, they collected the lifeguards, Coran had joined them today, for their daily swim, but instead Lance pulled Keith aside.

“How about those lessons you asked about earlier?” Lance said, tugging him away from the water. 

“Now?” Keith stared longingly at the waves lapping at sand. “Why do we have to do it now?”

“No time like the present, and you’re already sweaty, so what's stopping you?” Lance said, not slowing his pace.

Keith looked back at Shiro, who was staring after them with a smile. He only shook his head at Keith’s plea, and the rest of the team turned to the water. Keith sighed in exasperation and allowed Lance to pull him along. 

After retrieving a volleyball, they settled away from sunbathers in case the ball goes rogue, which Keith knows it will. They start out simple, learning how and where to hit the ball so it wouldn’t sting. It still stung to Keith, but it lessened the more he hit the ball, and he began to feel somewhat confident. Then he volleyed the ball with Lance, slowly backing up from each other, sharpening his aim. All the while, Lance was explaining the rules, what was considered out of bounds, and some tips like hitting towards your opponent’s less dominant side. Keith listened intently, eyes never wavering from the ball, and Lance watched him with a fond smile. 

Keith got like this during their surfing lessons, where he became so focused on succeeding, he didn’t even realize how he tuned out his surroundings. But Lance didn’t mind his one-track mind, he took advantage of it, staring at Keith while he was distracted. But Lance had to admire his determination, and the face he made was admittingly adorable. He scrunched his nose and eyebrows, and every once in a while his tongue would prod his upper lip. Lance smiled when he saw pink stick out of Keith’s mouth again, focused on hitting the ball sailing towards him. When he did, he smiled softly to himself, then Keith’s eyes flicked to meet Lance’s gaze, and Lance momentarily forgot that there was a volleyball soaring through the air towards him. He didn’t remember until it hit him on the head. He yelped and rubbed the soar spot in the top of his head, muttering to himself. Keith rushed to his side, checking over him, before he started chuckling. 

“What’s so funny?” Lance grumbled.

“I thought I would be the one to get hit first,” Keith chuckled. “Not you, Mr. Confidence.”

“I was just distracted, won’t happen again.”

Keith chewed his bottom lip, hoping to stop the smile threatening to break free. “Uh huh.”

The rest of the lesson passed without anymore incidents, and it ended when the others collected them to head back to the house. Keith felt significantly better about the tournament in two days. He knew he wasn’t going to win, but he at least knew enough to not make a fool out of himself, so hopefully he’ll be able to have fun now.

 

The beach had been transformed, volleyball courts spray-painted onto the sand and nets put up and tied down. People, players and spectators alike, wandered around, moving from game to game and cheering their friends on. Balloons hung at each court in a designated color to make identifying the courts easier on the players and spectators. Keith felt the energy of everyone around him, and it made him excited as well. And it was a beautiful day, no clouds in the sky, and while hot and the sand burning, it was pleasant. 

Keith had forgone a shirt, by Lance’s insistence, which he was sure his reasoning wasn’t as innocent as ‘you don’t want it to get lost in the chaos,’ and wore red shorts with spandex underneath- borrowed from Lance, who had insisted spandex shorts were a lifesaver. A hit on his shoulder drew his attention.

“Hey, just so you know, I’m not expecting to win,” Pidge told him. “So, let’s agree to just have fun.” 

Keith smiled and nodded, ruffling her hair because he knew she hated that, laughing when she swatted him away. She wore a t-shirt that said ‘save the green turtles’ on it with a cartoon turtle that had big eyes. It reminded Keith of Pidge when she wore her glasses, but he’d never tell her that, he valued his life. She also wore spandex shorts, and a headband that kept her wild hair out of her eyes. She had offered one to Keith too, which he had gratefully taken. 

The two were on their own for the moment, the other teams called to play, and they were continually switching between the three courts. They had started with Shiro and Matt, who were dominating like Lance had told him they would. They made a fierce team, each hit powerful and purposeful. Then they watched Coran and Allura, who were on the court right next to them, and Keith was impressed with their teamwork, one diving to keep the ball off the ground and the other right there to volley it. They were currently heading to Lance and Hunk’s match, which should be almost over. They arrived just in time to see Lance spike the ball, earning the winning point. The whistle blew, and the teammates hugged joyfully. It was clear Lance was in his element, the showmanship and athleticism right up his alley. The two saw Keith and Pidge and excitedly approached them.

“We totally killed it, dude!” Lance shouted, draping himself over Keith, who frowned.

“Sorry we missed it. You’re quite far from the others’ courts,” Keith said.

“Ah, don’t worry about it! That was only game one.” Lance waved his worry away and pecked his temple. It looked like this was going to be his new thing this week. Lance always seemed to favor one or two displays of affection for about a week before it switched again. Last week was holding hands at all times.  
“So, when is your guys’ first game?” Hunk said, glancing up at Pidge.

Pidge climbed onto Hunk’s shoulders, so she could get a better view of the beach, and so people would stop accidentally knocking into her.  
“In about a half hour,” Pidge replied nonchalantly.

“Great! That means we’ll be able to watch it!” Lance exclaimed, excitedly bouncing in place. “Our next game isn’t for another two hours. A lot of people turned up this year, I think this is the most crowded it’s ever been.”

“Yeah, it does seem like there are more teams than usual,” Hunk agreed.

They wandered around chatting and watching other games, Matt and Shiro meeting up with them at one point, before they headed over to the court Pidge and Keith were assigned. Keith knew he would do fine, but that didn’t settle his nerves, which seemed to have a mind of their own. All that dissipated at the sight of Lance’s encouraging smile as they stepped onto the court.

Keith studied their opponents, a woman and a man, both looking impressively muscular. While the man looked cold and closed off, the woman had a kind smile on her face. He didn’t see any weakness of theirs yet, but he didn’t expect to, maybe they’ll show up once they start playing. Their volunteer referee showed up and relayed the rules and expectations, then took his place in the lifeguard stand. They blew their whistle, and the game started, the other team serving first. 

Keith quickly fell into a rhythm as Pidge and him figured out their strengths and weaknesses and how to play off of each other. It was a rocky start, but with encouragement from the sidelines they managed to stay afloat. They didn’t win, as expected, but they did have a lot of fun. Keith was amazed at how hard that woman could hit; Keith’s arms still stung after the game had ended. As they walked over to their friends, seeing Allura and Coran had joined them at some point, they were intercepted by the woman of the other team.

She stretched her hand out and smiled widely at them. “Good game, guys! That was a lot of fun!”

“Uh, yeah. It was,” Keith said, shaking her hand. “You’re really good!”

“Thanks, I kinda do this for a living,” she smiled sheepishly. “My name’s Shay, nice to meet you.”

“Keith,” Keith nodded, then jerked a thumb beside him. “This is Pidge.” Said person gave a little wave.

“Wanna meet the rest of our friends?” Pidge spoke up.

Shay smiled wider. “I would love to!” She waved to her partner to tell him she’ll meet up later, then followed Keith and Pidge back to their group.  
They were immediately swamped with ‘good job’ and pats on the back. Pidge introduced Shay and she gave a shy smile and wave. Everyone immediately took to her, but Keith noticed how Hunk hung back a little, less engaging than he usually is when he meets strangers. So, Keith approached him, gently asking if he was okay.

“Oh, hey Keith. Yeah, I’m good, I just, uh,” Hunk trailed off staring at Shay, his fingers tapping together. And Keith swore he started sweating more if that was possible.

Then it all clicked. “I get it.” Hunk turned to him with wide eyes. “Just talk to her like you would with anybody else. She’s no different from them.” Keith gave Hunk an encouraging smile.

Hunk nodded. “Right. Okay,” he said mostly to himself, psyching himself up. “Can you- can you introduce me?”

“Sure.” Keith led Hunk over to the volleyball player, who towered over everyone except for Hunk, she was only an inch or two taller than him. “Hey, Shay. This is Hunk, I met him while lifeguarding at the beach.” Keith kept it simple and smiled when he saw Hunk immediately relax as they started talking about lifeguarding. 

Keith slipped away and found Lance arguing about something with Pidge, which he didn’t stop as he latched onto Keith, pulling him closer.

“Lance, it’s too hot to do this,” Keith said as he wiggled against Lance’s chest, but long arms only held him tighter.

Keith grumbled and waited patiently for Lance to finish, Pidge shooting him smug looks the entire time as she kept the conversation going for as long as she could, until Keith just interrupted them with his own question.

“When does your next game start?” He asked Lance, who immediately switched gears. Keith shot a triumphant smile towards Pidge.

“Oh! It should be coming up soon, I’ll ask Hunk since he knows everything,” Lance said, releasing Keith to look for his best friend. “Wait, is Hunk chatting up that pretty girl? I’m so proud of him!”

“Yeah, I had to break the ice for him because he was too nervous to talk to her.”

“You played wingman? Way to go,” Lance slapped Keith on the back. Keith only blinked at him, but didn’t ask any further questions, didn’t get a chance to anyway as Lance marched over to Shay and Hunk. Pidge joined Matt and Shiro walked up to Keith with a smile.

“Uh oh, you’ve got the proud-dad smile,” Keith rolled his eyes.

“What? Nevermind, I just wanted to say how proud I am of you,” Keith snorted, “And I hope you see how far you’ve come.” That made Keith stop and think. 

He really has come far since his dad’s death. In the children’s home he closed up and talked to no one, until Shiro broke him, and he cut himself off from everyone. Now, he was surrounded than more people than he thought he could ever handle, and each and everyone of them he considers his family.

“Yeah, I have come a long way,” Keith muttered to himself, but Shiro caught it and smiled. 

Then Lance came back over. “We totally have to make sure we set those two up on a date!” He said, motioning to Shay and Hunk. “But, I have found the answer to your question. Our next game starts in fifteen minutes. We’re going to head once big guy back there finishes with his romancing.”

“They are cute together,” Shiro commented, crossing his arms.

“Not just cute, perfect. They were talking about baking when I walked up. Baking! She’s meant for him!” Lance said dramatically.

Then Hunk walked up. “What are you guys talking about?”

Lance squeaked in surprise and answered ‘nothing’ at the same time Keith and Shiro said ‘you.’ Lance shot them a look of betrayal, to which they both just shrugged.

“Oookaay,” Hunk said, looking between them, and that snapped Lance back to attention.

“It was nothing, buddy,” he reassured his friend. “Now, come on. Let’s go crush our next competitors.” They fist bumped and walked to their assigned court.

Allura and Coran had a game as well, so they departed, and Shay excused herself to go find her brother, who was also her partner. So, Keith, Shiro, Matt, and Pidge followed Hunk and Lance to watch their game. They got into, cheering the pair on loudly, and Lance was lapping it up. And he may be cocky, but he had reason to be. Keith watched with subtle amazement, like he had at the surfing competition, as Lance played. His level of focus and determination was balanced by his playfulness, doing little dances when he made a good hit, or a special handshake when Hunk made a nice save. It was entertaining to say the least.

Matt and Shiro had to leave half-way through since they had a match, and Pidge went with them, but Keith remained. The other team was good, could hold their own, but were not as in sync as Lance and Hunk were, and that took them to victory. 

Lance whooped and jumped on Hunk’s back, who spun in a circle with a cheer. Keith stood and went to congratulate them. Lance jumped off Hunk’s back and wrapped Keith in a hug, then quickly detached himself since he knew Keith was easily overwhelmed. Keith gave him an appreciative smile, and high-fived him then Hunk. 

“Did you like my moves?” Lance asked, striking a pose.

“Oh yeah, so hot,” Keith smirked.

“Really?” Lance blinked, like he wasn’t going to get such a response.

“Yeah, you looked really sweaty.”

Lance deadpanned, upper body slumping, and he shoved Keith’s shoulder. “Hunk, you think I looked hot, right?”

“Oh yeah, buddy, you were on fire. Thought I was playing next to the sun!”

“Thank you,” Lance said, looking pointedly at Keith. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m not dating you. But then I remember, someone else has your interests.”   
Hunk shook his head, blindsided by Lance’s words, and was about ask what Lance meant but was cut off by Lance instead.

“Don’t bother denying it, buddy, I know you are head over heels for Shay,” Lance held up a hand, his expression knowing. Hunk spluttered, but Lance continued. “You guys were talking about baking when I walked up, Hunk! Baking!” Keith still didn’t know why that was so significant, but he just went with it. “Don’t worry, buddy, your wingman will help you!”

Hunk looked at a loss for words, and Keith was about to step up to help him out, but then the big guy let out a heavy sigh. “Oh thank god, ‘cause I really don’t think I could do this alone. I don’t know the first thing about girls!”

“No problem, my friend. You are in good hands,” Lance said, draping an arm over Keith’s shoulder.

“Don’t look at me, I know nothing either,” Keith said, and Lance and Hunk snorted.

 

The rest of the day passed quickly, Keith and Pidge lost their next game, knocking them out of the brackets and free to roam for the rest of the tournament. Allura and Coran were the next to be knocked out, though they made it significantly farther than Keith and Pidge but were knocked out in the semi-finals. And it was Matt and Shiro versus Lance and Hunk next round. They were already talking smack, or at least Lance and Matt were. No one else wanted to take sides, but they did for fun. Obviously, Keith took Lance’s side like a good boyfriend should, but mostly to spite Shiro, and Coran backed him up.

“See Coran, my gorgeous man, this is why you’re my favorite!” 

“Thank you, my boy!” Coran responded, curling his mustache proudly.

Allura and Pidge took Shiro and Matt’s side for obvious reasons, and it was fun trading insults, which were just playful jabs. But as the game started, both sides grew serious, still trading smiles and quips, but whoever won this round will move on to the finals, and that rested in the back of their heads. It was a close game the entire time, when one team would pull ahead, the other scored the next points and tied it up again. The spectators watched in tense silence, heads following the volley of the ball. 

Each team gave it their all, doing whatever it took to get the ball over the net, and both teams showed remarkable chemistry and teamwork. Keith wished that both teams could move on, but he didn’t make the rules. 

Eventually the game came to an end, Lance and Hunk winning by one point, and they made sure everyone knew it- at least Lance did, but it was all for show. It was playful banter. The teams traded friendly congratulations and hugged it out. Now everyone was on the same side once more, and Keith could relax.

The finals started immediately after with it being so late in the day. The sun was setting and bathing everything in an orange glow, the heat settling into a comfortable temperature and a small breeze drifted across the beach, not strong enough to kick up sand, only offer cool relief. Keith watched the way the light danced on Lance’s skin with his movements, and how it reflected in his eyes. It also made his smile seem even brighter, though Keith knew that was physically impossible. 

The team they were playing against was unfamiliar to Keith, but they were good. They seemed just as in-sync as Lance and Hunk, but they were more serious. They traded no words or smiles while they played, only a dull high-five when they scored a point, and Keith could see it was throwing Lance and Hunk off a bit. Keith moved closer to where Lance was standing, and when he caught Lance’s eye he smiled at him. Lance perked up, and passed some words of encouragement onto Hunk, who’s spirits also seemed to rise. 

They finished the game strong and pulled ahead to take the win. Everyone cheered loudly, rushing onto the court to pull them into a group hug. Keith made sure he was on the outside of said hug, but his heart swelled at being able to be a part of such companionship. He never thought he would be able to do this in his life again when he was in the orphanage. He snuck a peck on Lance’s cheek in the commotion and he’s never seen a bigger smile. 

Lance and Hunk were presented their trophy in the last rays of the sun, the sky a soft pink and purple that was quickly fading into navy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featured songs for this chapter:  
> 1.The Ocean by Manchester Orchestra  
> 2.Shark Attack by Grouplove (I always listen to this on the beach)  
> ~  
> Finally got some Hunay in here! Their ship name is my favorite because it sounds as sweet as they are! I hope Shay makes another appearance in Voltron soon. And Matt is back! I love Matt and decided it's been long enough without him! And the Pidge and Matt duo is also too sweet, I love them. I love everyone, but now I'm rambling.  
> So, at this point I've used up my already planned ideas, but i'm by no means stopping, and I've already got a few ideas I'm going to expand on. I will write for this fic as long as I enjoy it. But, I'm always happy to hear from you guys, and if there's anything you want to see more of let me know!  
> Until next time, stay safe!


	6. CHAPTER SIX

The soft golds and pinks of dawn were no less beautiful than any other day, but in Keith’s mind, they seemed to shine with extra fervor. He smiled to himself, upturning his face into the wind as he sat atop the cliff, waiting for the sun to make an appearance. Footstep sounded behind him and he knew who it was without having to open his eyes. His smile widened a fraction when warm arms wrapped themselves around him.

“Hey,” Lance breathed into his ear, and Keith suppressed a shiver of happiness.

“Hey,” Keith replied, voice just as hushed.

They stayed like that, Keith counting Lance’s breaths as they brushed across his skin, leaning into the fingers entangled in his hair. Lance was humming softly, so softly that Keith felt it more than he heard it, which nearly made his eyes roll into the back of his head the feeling was so alluring. Keith idly ran his fingers over the knuckles of one of Lance’s hands, until Lance trapped his fingers with his own.

The first of the sun’s rays broke the horizon, bathing the pair in its golden glow. Keith used to watch the sunrise with anticipation, begging it to chase the fear that accompanied his nights away, but now he looks out at it with peace, content with is life.

Lifeguarding was going as good as ever, his relations to his co-workers, or rather, _family_ , the only word that suited them now, were continuously growing. He got along well with Matt, so much so Lance always joked that Matt was trying to steal Keith from him, which Keith always reassured would not happen with a kiss.

 “S’beautiful,” Lance slurred, vocal chords still waking apparently. “Like you.”

Keith turned in his hold and cupped Lance’s face, eyes roaming the tanned skin, drinking in the way the golden light made him shine. His blue eyes reflected the light, making them look even more similar to the ocean at that moment, and each lash was tipped with gold as well. Keith wondered if he were to kiss Lance right now, would he be able to taste the sun’s rays? So, he decided to answer that question for himself. And Keith quickly realized he didn’t care what dawn tasted like, he only cared about what Lance tasted like.

Lance’s warmth chased the chill of the air, and Keith hungered for it, fisting his hands in the blanket Lance had thrown over his shoulders as he pulled the man closer. Lance’s arms encased Keith in the blanket cocoon, holding him firmly, encouraging him forward. Their lips danced, languid and lazy just like the morning. It was nothing like last night, but Keith found he enjoyed it. Lance quickly took charge when he felt Keith melt into him, a tan hand cupping the back of Keith’s head, guiding it where he wanted it. He tipped Keith’s head back and trailed kisses down the line of his throat, and Keith hummed with pleasure. Lance was always gentle, but his passion was never lost in his carefulness. When Lance pulled away, Keith’s eyebrows scrunched together, and he made a sound of protest.

“How does breakfast sound?” Lance chuckled, hand coming to rest on the side of Keith’s head, thumb tracing his cheekbone.

“Not hungry,” Keith mumbled, curling into Lance and mouthing at his neck.

“Oh no you don’t, breakfast first!” Lance laughed and stood up, leaving Keith to catch himself before he face-planted in the dew-covered grass.

Keith protested loudly, watching as Lance retreated back to his cottage, blanket swaying in the wind. Lance glanced back with a sly grin that had Keith racing to catch up. Once inside, Lance whipped up some omelets while Keith sat at his dinky table and listened with a fond smile to Lance as he chatted about Hunk’s fascination with cooking, which he had heard many times already, but never minded hearing it again. He enjoyed listening to Lance’s voice, the way it pitches higher when he gets excited and the way he waves his hands in accompaniment.

The omelets were delicious, and warmed Keith right up, and afterwards Lance dragged him back to bed to cuddle until nine. It was their day off, best to enjoy it together. Keith couldn’t help the giddy feeling as he stared at Lance laying opposite of him, who was focused on their fingers playing with each other, unaware of Keith’s soft gaze. Keith bit his lip to try to hide the fact that he was smiling, this overwhelming feeling of ‘ _this is my life now_ ’ becoming too much to contain, and it felt amazing. He wanted Lance to stay by his side forever, wanted to gaze into those pools of blue that always shined brighter than the ocean itself, and seemingly just as deep. Keith would drown in those depths a hundred times over; he may have already.

Lance pulled him in and planted a kiss on his forehead. Keith wrapped his arms around his waist, Lance’s own arms settling on his shoulders, and that’s how they laid, breathing in each other. Lance’s breath was blowing a strand of Keith’s hair, which in turn tickled his nose, and Keith couldn’t stop his nose from scrunching, which led to Lance pecking it, making Keith go cross-eyed.

Lance protested when Keith tried to pull away to take a shower, and he didn’t try and stop Lance from joining. Keith would never admit it, but he had moaned when Lance began to massage the shampoo in his hair, singing a song softly, oblivious to the way he was taking Keith apart- or was he?

Afterwards, Keith dried his hair quickly, Lance appalled by the rough handling of his hair, but Keith shrugged him off and threw his hair up into a bun. His hair had gotten longer, curling a little bit past his shoulders, and it had more curl to it from the salt air. Keith found he liked it like this, as did Lance who was constantly running his fingers through it and tugging on it. He sat on his bed scrolling through his phone while he waited for Lance to finish his morning routine; Keith knew better than to interfere. But he kept a careful eye on the time, so they wouldn’t be late for work.

Lance emerged from the bathroom with a wide smile, dressed in his lifeguarding shorts and t-shirt, sunglasses hanging on the collar of his shirt. Keith pulled on his own shirt and followed him out the door, both climbing into Lance’s car.

They arrived at the beach at the same time as Shiro, who shot Keith a smug smile- will the teasing ever end?- and they walked to the house together, Lance casually chatting about their group’s next gettogether. Maybe they’ll all go fishing on Coran’s boat, or chill at Keith’s cottage? They arrived at the lifeguarding house with the location as yet to be determined; everyone should be present for the conversation anyway.

As soon as Keith walked through the door, he was tackled by Pidge, who grabbed his arm and jumped up and down excitedly, Keith’s eyes following the movement.

“You’re going to be helping Matt and I today with the fundraiser we’re doing!”

That’s right, Coran agreed to allow the Holt’s to set up an information booth on the boardwalk to raise awareness on the preservation of the beach’s wildlife. And it seems Coran leant them his help despite him not knowing nearly enough to hold a conversation about this kind of thing, but he was happy to help, and always eager to learn.

“Aw man, you’re so lucky!” Lance pouted, looking more hurt than he probably felt. “I wanna talk about baby sea turtles all day!”

“Lance, it’s not just about the baby sea turtles, there are countless animals affected by-“

“I know, Pidge, I’ve heard this rant before. And I’ve watched all the Planet Earth’s, I’m educated on this matter, just let me show my love for the baby turtles,” Lance interrupted Pidge’s rant.

“Anyways, what am I going to be doing exactly?” Keith turned back to Pidge, but Matt answered instead.

“Well, first you’re going to help us set up the booth and poster.”

And thus, the day began. Keith shooed off Lance to his morning run with Hunk, Shiro, and Allura, and got to work dragging the pieces of the booth from storage. It consisted of a foldable table, an umbrella to provide shade, and then many posters with graphic about recycling, the life cycle of the green sea turtle, and many other informative pictures. Of course, there was one with a shark because that would catch everyone’s attention; it was also Lance’s favorite, which he yelled out as he ran past.

Soon the people began to arrive, slowly at first and then in waves. A surprising amount actually stopped by the booth, asking questions and donating a couple dollars they had on them, and many kids took interest too, dragging their parents over pointing at the posters, then listening attentively as Pidge explained what they meant. Keith watched it all with a smile, glad to see the humanity this little town had for its ocean. He explained to those who listened what could be recycled, as well as what happened when trash is thrown into the ocean. Matt was handling the technological aspect of the Holt’s foundation, explaining how the technology they’ve developed works and wowing the audience with some displays, earning them some more funds.

They didn’t stop talking all day, and once lunch hit Lance and Hunk brought them some sandwiches, taking over for a bit as the three of them ate. The pair made quite the show, both talking enthusiastically and charming their audience like no one else could. It was enjoyable to watch, and everyone was loving it.

“We could really do something bigger with this,” Keith said, turning to Pidge who was shoving her sandwich in her mouth. “The people are obviously interested, and I think we should take advantage of this.”

“What do you have in mind?” Matt spoke up, Pidge still chewing but nodding encouragingly.

“Maybe host an awareness fair or something? Set up more booths to cover everything you guys do, and what the public can do. Also, have booths doing face-painting and hosting themed games for the kids and all that. I’m sure we could also bring in aspects about this beach as well, like have lifeguard competitions so the kids can see what it takes to be a lifeguard and whatnot,” Keith shrugged. “People should see what we do to keep this beach and the ocean at its best.”

Both Matt and Pidge blinked at him, and Keith immediately felt self-conscious, but then the widest smiles broke out on their faces.

“Keith, you’re a genius!” Pidge shouted, nearly throwing the rest of her sandwich in the air.

“Why didn’t we think of that sooner!” Matt added. “This town loves their beach, and they love supporting it. It’s the perfect platform!”

Keith rubbed his arm bashfully, a proud smile catching his lips, and he blushed slightly at the praise. Pidge immediately took out a notebook and asked him to repeat his ideas, so she could jot them down. Once that was settled, they returned to their posts, sending Lance and Hunk back on their way to finish up their shifts. It was a successful day, needless to say, and the Holt’s raised a couple hundred dollars, not much but enough to show people were interested in what they were doing. It also showed promise for Keith’s suggestion, where people would be more prepared to give.

As the day ended, everyone was lounging in the living room of the lifeguard house, the television on to serve as background noise while they all hung out. Keith liked these nights, liked the warm feeling of being surrounded by family, the mutterings of numerous conversations, a sudden burst of laughter, and a playful taunt thrown around here and there. It was nice, to put it simply.

They all settled on using Coran’s boat for their next outing, to which Coran exclaimed that he had to find his old captain’s uniform, and that they would go to Keith’s place next time. Then they all said their goodbyes and goodnights, Lance insisting on driving Keith home.

“You know, I don’t expect you to be my chauffeur all the time, right?” Keith said as they sidled up to Lance’s car, who unlocked it. “I mean, you live not even five minutes from the beach, there’s no reason for you to come all the way out to my place.”

Lance waved a hand at him. “Please, I’m your boyfriend, it’s in the handbook for being a good boyfriend.” Keith stared at him with a raised brow, and then climbed into the car. Lance followed suite. “Besides, I like to,” Lance continued. “I want to. It’s no trouble at all.” Keith didn’t push any further, knowing Lance meant what he said.

The rest of the drive passed with upbeat music and Lance belting out the words horribly, on purpose of course, since the man could actually sing, but instead wanted to torture Keith because he found it humorous. Keith, however, did not, and took it upon himself to randomly change the station, but no matter which song was playing, Lance would effortlessly switch; Keith would never admit it, but it was very impressive. Eventually, Keith broke down into a fit of laughter as Lance sang along to Elvis, making dramatic faces and kissy lips at Keith.

They said goodbye with a kiss, Lance promising to be here tomorrow to pick Keith up once more, and Keith didn’t argue- how could he when the first face he’ll see in the morning is Lance’s?

 

 

On their next day off, Lance decided he was going to bring breakfast over to Keith. When he arrived at the cottage, it was still early, a mist surrounding the place, the sun’s rays reflecting off of it beautifully. Lance found himself wanting to come up here more and more, considering it as a haven from the real world, where time slowed, and nothing felt real. It was peaceful, and while Lance had never considered wanting a strictly peaceful and quiet life- his large family had chased that away, not that he ever cared- he knew Keith did. So, when he came up here, he always felt like he was learning more about Keith, learning more about his inner thoughts and feelings, like this place was Keith’s very soul. And that was invigorating, and he gladly welcomed these moments of quiet in his otherwise crazy life.

He climbed the porch, the rotten steps groaning under his weight, and pulled out his key, not bother knocking since Keith was probably still asleep since he wasn’t atop the cliff. His assumption proved right when he stuck his head into Keith’s room, finding him bundled in his blankets so that only a black tuft of hair was recognizable. Lance quietly retreated, setting up the breakfast on the stove so it’d keep warm, then busied himself with some cleaning, not that there was much to tidy since Keith kept his everything relatively bare, something Lance was slowly changing. All the shells Lance had collected and given to Keith lay on throughout the house, and there was a bowl of sea glass at the center of the kitchen table.  

So, instead he began to familiarize himself with the cabinets and draws, finding out Keith didn’t have much dishware, and many cobwebs and dust bunnies. As Lance opened up a weathered chest Keith keeps beside the door, he stumbled upon an old photo album and a sketchbook tucked under a mountain of blankets. Lance pulled them out and set them on the kitchen table. He bit his lip and looked towards the door where Keith was asleep, debating whether he should look within them or ask Keith before invading his personal items. Lance decided on the lather knowing Keith was an extremely private person, and he didn’t want to intrude on that, he wanted to show Keith he could trust him with anything.

Not too much later Keith shuffled out of his room in a rumpled t-shirt and mussed hair, blinking slowly in the light as his gaze settled on Lance, who sat smiling at the table. He grunted a hello, and Lance explained he brought breakfast, which Keith gratefully accepted, piling his plate up plopping into the chair beside Lance, who could no longer resist running his fingers through Keith’s messy hair. He remained silent though, letting Keith wake before he mentioned the books sitting across from them on the table.

However, Keith caught sight of them as he was about to stand to place his dish in the sink, and he froze, squinting at the books before his eyes widened with recognition. He set his plate down and walked around the table to them, brushing his fingers over their covers with a small smile. Lance watched him quietly, studying his face and the emotions passing over it.

“Where’d you find these?” Keith’s voice was quiet, his eyes still trained on the covers.

“In the chest holding all your blankets. I didn’t want to just open them, I got the feeling they were important to you.” Lance’s voice was just as quiet, and he watched Keith’s lips quirk slightly.

“Yeah, they are. This one,” he tapped a finger on the black leather book, “is a photo album my dad made years ago. It was actually the year before he disappeared. I left it here thinking we’d be coming back the next year, but…I’m surprised it’s still here.” Keith slid into the chair across from Lance, fumbling with the cover of the other book. “This one is an old sketch book from when I was young.” He smiled when he caught sight of the first picture and pushed both books over to Lance.

“I didn’t know you could draw,” Lance leaned forward, gently corralling the books to him.

He opened the sketchbook first since he still felt like he wasn’t privy to such a personal item as the photo album, and his eyes widened as he caught sight of a sweeping wave, lines of blue and green mixing and creating the movement of water. It was impressive for little Keith.

“You could definitely draw,” Lance said with a smile, eyes flashing up to look at Keith, who smiled softly back. “You should pick it back up again.”

Keith hummed thoughtfully, and Lance continued flipping through the pages. Most were sketches of the ocean, numerous watercolor sunsets were mixed in as well, along with some surf boards and ambiguous surfers gliding on a wave, all probably done on the cliff just outside.

Lance tapped the picture of the surfer and smirked at Keith. “Hmm, tan skin, blue shorts? Looks familiar?” His grin widened when Keith adverted his gaze. “I’m only messing with you Keith. I meant what I said when I told you I didn’t care about you watching me learn how to surf when you were, like, ten years old!”

Keith startled and glanced up at him. “You knew I was talking about you? Why didn’t you just tell me!”

Lance laughed. “Because you were obviously shy about it, so I played along. It wasn’t a big deal, and if you keep drawing me you can watch me anytime!”

Keith growled and playfully swiped at him, Lance leaning back further in his seat to avoid being hit. Then he shut the sketchbook with a smile and pushed it back to Keith.

“Definitely keep drawing, I’ll pick you up some supplies next time I’m in town.” Keith nodded, tucking the sketch book off to the side.

Lance’s eyes fell on the black album, but he didn’t reach for it yet. He wasn’t sure why he felt so awkward about looking at its contents, maybe because Keith never brought up this part of his life, so Lance wasn’t really sure what to expect.

“Wanna look at this one together?” Lance asked softly, and Keith nodded, moving himself into the chair beside Lance.

Lance flipped it open, a picture of a toddler Keith standing in the surf with a wide smile on his face. His hair was hanging in the same long tendrils Lance had watched Keith dry earlier that morning. He snorted.

“Were you born with the mullet, or what?” He chuckled when Keith glared at him and flipped to the next page.

This one held multiple pictures of Keith and his dad, along with a lumpy sandcastle decorated with shells and seaweed. As they flipped through the pages, Keith gradually grew older, and Lance felt himself smile fondly at a picture of Keith wrapped in a blanket and smiling up at a starry night sky, a soft smile on his face like the kind he wears when Lance catches him staring at him. The last photo is a pic of Keith hugging his dad around the neck, his face shoved on his father’s shouler and smiling wide while his dad is grasping his arms and hunching over, glancing at Keith out of the corner of his eyes with a matching smile on his face.

“You guys have the same smile,” Lance said softly, fingers dancing over the Keith in the picture.

Keith remained quiet, and Lance glanced over at him, finding him staring at the final photo, eyes glassy. Lance redirected his gaze, knowing Keith hated being vulnerable in front of other people, so he gave him some privacy. It was then that he noticed some faint writing on under the picture, the graphite having faded.

_Keith and I having some fun before we head back home. It’s been a fun year for Keith, and I hope in the future he will find someone who helps him keep having fun. His life hasn’t been and probably won’t be easy, but as long as someone is there for him, he’ll be okay. I know I won’t be around forever, but I’m going to stay as long as I can and keep that smile on his face the whole time as well._

Lance decided not to point this out to Keith, not wanting to send him over the edge, but Lance memorized that vow and internalized it. He wanted to be that person who made Keith smile. Then he noticed there were still empty pages left in the book, and an idea struck him.

“Hey, what if we filled up the rest of this book? I mean, I understand if you want to preserve it since it’s memories of you and your dad, but I was just thinking, I mean, we don’t have to, but it’d be nice if we-“

“Lance,” Keith cut off his rambling, a watery smile on his lips as he composed himself. “I’d like that. And I know he would too.”

“Really?” Lance calmed, a goofy smile catching his lips.

“Yeah, he’d like you. He would tell you all the jokes he knows, and you would totally laugh at them too, no matter how lame they are.”

“Hey, I have a respectable sense of humor!” Lance protested, and Keith rolled his eyes.

“And he’d totally ask you to teach him how to surf. He had no shame!” Keith chuckled, then he fell quiet, a finger tracing a circle on the tabletop.

Lance caught his hand and tilted his chin up so their eyes could meet. A tear slipped down Keith’s cheek, but Lance paid it no mind. Then he pulled Keith into a firm hug, and Keith quickly melted into it, tucking his face into the crook of Lance’s neck as a few more tears spilled down. Lance tilted his head, so his mouth was level with Keith’s ear.

“Your father sounded like a wonderful man, and I am sorry he could not be the one here looking through this album with you today. And I am sorry you’ve had to go through everything you have, I don’t think I’ve told you that yet. I know I’m not your dad, but I want you to know that I am here for you, and I won’t leave you,” Lance whispered.

Keith’s breath hiccupped, and he clutched at Lance tighter, kissing the side of Lance’s neck as a thank you, and Lance smiled, understanding the message. He ran his fingers through Keith’s hair until he calmed down.

“Since we’re on the topic of family, I’d love it if you came and ate dinner with my family one night. My mother has been gushing about you ever since I brought you over to get the surfboards that one time, pestering me for a proper introduction,” Lance chuckled, and Keith joined in.

“I’d like that.”

Lance smiled, then tugged him out of his seat, pecking his cheak.

“Now, this is our day off, and as much as I like cuddling you, I don’t think either of us want to spend it in tears,” Lance said with a gentle smile, and Keith snorted. “So, let’s get the ultimate relaxation day on the road!”

Keith raised one eyebrow at him, and Lance booped his nose, not revealing what he had in mind. He sent Keith to the living room and raced back to his bag sitting by the front door. He reappeared with his arms full of things Keith couldn’t name.

“We’re having a spa day!” Lance announced, and Keith just stared at him, making Lance pout. “Don’t look at me like that. Once you try it once, you’ll love it- just ask Hunk.”

The entire time Keith tried to act disgruntled, but he couldn’t hide the fact he was enjoying their close proximity and the feeling of Lance’s fingers on his face. He purposefully played up his ignorance to get Lance going on some rant about pores and coconut and what not because Keith loved watching his face as he talked, always so expressive and open. He openly laughed when Lance made faces at him while his face was covered in green goo, making him look like an alien, and Lance retaliated by spreading it on Keith’s face as well. He pulled Keith’s bangs back with a headband when they had fallen into the paste one too many times, and Keith was sure that broke Lance, who had stared at him silently for way too long. That only led to more teasing. Keith couldn’t believe the one-eighty Lance had made him do; he always felt more relaxed around Lance, knowing he could be himself and Lance would still be by his side.

When they finished their spa day routine, Keith marveled at how smooth and soft his skin felt, and Lance tried to hold back an ‘I told you so,’ but ultimately failed. That ended with them touching each other’s faces, which transitioned into tracing each other’s features with their lips.

Lance trailed kissed down Keith’s jaw, his thumb never ceasing its ministrations over Keith’s cheekbones, and Keith melted into him, eyes fluttering closed at the slide of Lance’s fingertips and lips over his skin- it’ll never get old. Keith let his own hands trace Lance’s jaw, lightly guiding him to the right places on his neck before guiding him to his lips. The kiss was warm and sweet, gentle but passionate, and Keith felt like he was on fire. Lance’s touches always did that to him.

He wasn’t sure how much time they passed like that, but Keith didn’t mind. Lifeguarding had been particularly busy this week, so it was nice to be able to just enjoy each other’s presence for a day. Keith would never admit to it, but he needed to be constantly reassured of Lance’s affection, not in a needy way, more like an anxious way as if Lance would just up and leave one day, and Lance was happy to oblige him.

They ate a late lunch, discussing the plans for the next group outing on Coran’s boat, as well as the fundraiser fair Keith had suggested to raised awareness of the Holt’s work and protecting the beach. Everyone had immediately supported the idea, and Keith was glad to have helped in such a way. Lance was especially excited, already creating challenges for the lifeguard portion of the fair. Hopefully, it would all be planned by the end of the month. Keith listened to Lance talk with a smile.

They eventually settled in his living room, flipping through channels and watching a surf competition that was on tv. Lance hanging on every trick and cheering when a particular surfer pulled out an amazing score.

“Why don’t you try out for these?” Keith asked after a particular run Keith swears Lance has done before. Lance only shrugged. “You’re just as good as these guys, and you’d have so much fun.”

“Maybe, but they’re surprisingly expensive and I don’t have that kind of money yet. Also, it’s a lot of work, which requires time I just don’t have right now.”

“But you’d consider it if you could afford it?” Keith pressed, and Lance nodded, shooting Keith an easy smile.

“Oh yeah, it’s a personal goal of mine to get into at least one of these competitions eventually.”

Keith, satisfied with that answer, backed off, but started to formulate a way to get Lance into one of these surfing competitions, and when he got the perfect idea, he couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. Luckily, Lance was too distracted to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featured songs:  
> 1\. Fade Into You by Mazzy Star (her voice is angelic)  
> 2\. Gold Coast by Grouplove (the live version especially is heavenly, literally my favorite)  
> ~Idk if anybody even looks these up, but if you do, just know that I love you! Also, feel free to offer some of your own beachy-ish songs too!  
> I'd also like to say thank you to everyone who reads this story! I know it's not the most plot driven story, more of a soft fic, but I love it and when I write for it it's oddly calming- like the beach for me. And with it being such a chill fic, I'm open to hear what you guys would like to see, so if you have any suggestions hit me up and maybe it'll be included in one of the chapters. Regardless, I'll be happy to hear from you!  
> ~Until next time, stay safe!


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